^VMLSandMISSIONS ^ 


1 J. 'V^LiUR Chapman 


nWi«i90KS FOR P^TICAL WORKERS 


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L'BRARYOr^RESS. 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. | 



Revivals and Missions 



s-^ 



BY 



Rev. J. WILBUR CHAPMAN, D.D. 

AUTHOR OF 
** IVORY palaces/' ** received YE THE HOLY GHOST," 

**kadesh-barnea/' **the secret of a 
happy day," etc., etc. 



NEW^ YORK 

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Co tHg VO\\t 

Vd\[OSt self-sacrifice l^as zxi<xWt\i me to bo 

tlie work of an €t)angelist, <xxC(> to ml^ose becotion anb 

sgmpattjg in my ipork 3 ^^^^ ^^"^^ ^^<i« 

3 ^" ^^^^^ repag, tl^is little book 

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1 



ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 



In the preparation of this book I desire to ac- 
knowledge the following books from which quota- 
tions have been made. They have ever been an in- 
spiration to me in my work. May they be so to 
others. 

Luke Tyevirian, Life of George Whitefteld, Lon- 
don, N. Y., 1876; Bennet Tyler, Memoir of Asabel 
Nettleton, Boston, 1844; Atitobiography of Charles 
G, Finney y N. Y., 1876; Jonathan Edwards, On re- 
vivals^ New York, 1845 ) Joseph Tracy, The Great 
Awakenings a history of the revival of religion in 
the time of Edwards and Whitefield, Boston, 1842 ; 
H. C. Yish.Hand hook of revivals, Boston, 1874; E. 
W. Kirth, Lectures on revivals, Boston, 1874; W. 
W. Newell, Revivals, hozv and zvhen, New York, 
1882 ; Herrick Johnson, Revivals, their place and 
power, Chicago, 1883 ; Halliday and Gregory, The 
Church in America and its baptisms of fire, New 
York, 1896. 

The chapters upon Parochial Missions in the 
Protestant Episcopal Church have been reprinted by 
permission from the manual published by the Paro- 
chial Mission Society. 

J. w. c. 



PREFACE 



In 1879 while a student at Lake Forest Uni- 
versity, associated with Rev. B. Fay Mills as a class- 
mate, I received my first inspiration to do the work 
of an Evangelist. 

In my early ministry and first pastorates I studied 
both men and methods that I might be able some 
day to do the work acceptably. 

While preaching in Schuylerville, N. Y., I at- 
tended a series of meetings in Albany conducted by 
D. L. Moody. Here the conviction grew upon me 
that I ought to devote my entire time to the work, 
but the way did not open at this time. I was called 
to the First Reformed Church at Albany, and for 
five happy years served one of the most conservative 
and aristocratic churches in the state. 

Evangelistic methods such as are described in this 
book were tried there, with the result that the old 
church was transformed ; and for three and a half 
years was crowded to the doors with an eager, anx- 
ious people, many of whom were converted. 

This was another step in the school of prepara- 
tion. 

From this pastorate I was called to succeed Rev. 

vii 



Vlll PREFACE 

A. T. Pierson, D. D., in the Bethany Presbyterian 
Church of Philadelphia, probably one of the most 
Evangelistic Churches in the country. 

For three years my ministry was Evangelistic in 
every way. During all this time the calls for help 
were coming to me from all parts of the country, 
and at last I yielded to the pressure and went forth 
after resigning my Church, to do the general work 
of an evangelist, and for three years I labored in 
most of the principal cities of our country. All this 
time my Church in Philadelphia was without a regu- 
lar pastor. Repeated overtures were made to me to 
return, and at last with the understanding that I 
could if I wished have half my time for evangelistic 
work and half for my Church, I returned. After 
three years of labor in connection with my associate 
pastors I was called to the pastorate of the Fourth 
Presbyterian Church, of New York City, in which 
field I am now laboring. This extended explana- 
tion is made that my readers may know that 
I write both from the standpoint of an evangelist 
and pastor. Not a suggestion is here recorded but 
has been tried with some slight modification in all 
my fields of labor, not a method is suggested but 
what God has set His seal upon it in days past. 
There is nothing theoretical in the entire book, it is 
nothing if not practical. If the points indicated are 
adopted, with such modifications as each Church or 
community may demand, there is no reason why the 
result may not be a genuine revival of religion. The 
texts given at the close of the book have all been 
used in special services. They will reach all classes 



PREFACE IX 

and conditions of society. This book goes forth witli 
my earnest prayer that God may make it a blessing 
to many. 

J. Wilbur Chapman, 

New York City, 1900. 



1 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I 

PAGE 

Revivals Defined i 

CHAPTER n 
Revivals in American History 12 

CHAPTER HI 
Revivals in American History (Continued) 24 

CHAPTER IV 
The Prince of Modern Revivalists 39 

CHAPTER V 
Objections to Revivals 59 

CHAPTER VI 
Indications of a Revival (^y 

CHAPTER VII 
Preparing for a Revival 80 

CHAPTER VIII 
The Method of Work 83 

CHAPTER IX 
Preaching in Revivals 107 

CHAPTER X 

A Revival in the Sunday School 121 

i 



11 CONTENTS 

CHAPTER XI 

PAGE. 

Revivals Helped 133 

CHAPTER XH 
Revivals Hindered 139 

CHAPTER Xni 
Revival Sermon Outline and Texts 144 

CHAPTER XIV 

History of the Parochial Mission in the Episcopal 
Church 158 

CHAPTER XV 
The Preparation for the Mission 162 

CHAPTER XVI 
Conduct of the Mission .* 173 

CHAPTER XVII 
After Work of the Mission 183 

CHAPTER XVIII 
Catholic Missions 188 

CHAPTER XIX 
The Story of a Catholic Mission 194 



Revivals and Missions 



CHAPTER I 

REVIVALS DEFINED 



In the minds of many people there is a very de- 
cided prejudice against what are termed " Revivals 
of Religion.'' This prejudice is not alone to be found 
in the pews, but in many cases extends to the pulpit, 
and ministers of the Gospel are found who express 
themselves as regarding revivals as producing ab- 
normal and undesirable conditions of church life. 
They say that they are not infrequently attended 
with very serious evils ; that they are simply bursts 
of enthusiasm or excitement which last for a day and 
then pass away, leaving the last state of the Church 
worse than the first. They say that the only true 
way for a church to grow is by constant accessions 
from the world, and they affirm that God's people 
should always be in a revived condition. 

There is much of truth to support this view, but 
the facts in many cases are against it ; for, as a rule. 



2 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

the Church does not have a steady growth, and much 
of the history of the Church in past days has been 
along the hne of revival effort. That God's people 
are not always revived is true, to their shame: 
and whether we approve of revivals or not, we must 
certainly acknowledge that they have in the past 
been God's chosen method for directly quicken- 
ing His people and indirectly leading the unsaved 
to an acknowledgment of Jesus Christ. 

Much of the indifference to be fdund to-day arises 
from a confusion of terms. Strictly speaking, the 
word '' Revive '' means to bring again to life, or to 
reanimate, and while we may speak of Christians as 
being revived, the expression could never be used in 
connection with the unregenerate, for they are dead 
in trespasses and sins, according to the Scriptures, 
and a reviving presupposes life, which does not exist 
in the unsaved man. 

In popular use, however, the word '' Revival " em- 
braces not only the idea of the quickening of the 
saints, but the conversion of sinners: and we feel 
very sure that under existing circumstances no bet- 
ter word could be used. Indeed, it naturally follows 
that wdiere Christians are quickened there will al- 
ways be conversions ; and so, as we use the word 
in this book, the thought shall always be the arousing 
of the Church and the saving of the lost. 

* Dr. Hetherington, of Scotland, gives the follow- 
ing very just criticism upon the term revival: " The 
word itself (in some of its forms) is often used in 



* Handbook of revivals. 



REVIVALS DEFINED 3 

Scripture ; and, as so used, it generally implies the 
reproduction of a spiritual life which had almost died 
away. It is not, however, synonymous with the 
term conversion; for while revival implies the re- 
newal of a life which had almost died away, conver- 
sion strictly means the conferring of a spiritual life 
not before existing. In truth, it so happens that re- 
vivals and conversions commonly accompany each 
other: so that, where conversions are frequent and 
striking, many will be re-quickened or revived.'' 

The word revival is used because God has set His 
seal upon it in the Bible. It is a word a good deal 
older than the Church. For revivals in Old Testa- 
ment times the Prophets prayed, and the word is as- 
sociated with some of the grandest scenes of Bible 
history. 

'' It presents to our vision a tender, loving quick- 
ened Church, pleading with God and men, while 
new-born souls are praising and honoring Jesus. 
Saints of old wrought for revivals. Angels exult 
over them. Jesus infinitely loved them, and Je- 
hovah is glorified by them. True Christians may 
rightly object to fanaticism and wildfire: but they 
cannot object to the outpouring of God's Spirit. And 
wherever Christians may be, they should always la- 
bor for the lost, with entire dependence on this di- 
vine influence/' 

With a strong belief in the desirableness of a revi- 
val, it is easy enough, if we put ourselves in right 
relations with God, to experience the joy of such 
work at any time. God is not to be limited to spec- 
ial seasons of the year. His blessings are not con- 



4 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

fined to any particular set of men, and we believe 
that any Church could speedily enter upon a blessed 
experience in revival work if God were simply taken 
at His word. 

* '' During Mr. Moody's meetings in the City of 
New York a number of years ago, the Rev. R, R. 
Booth, D. D., of the University Place Church, was 
deeply impressed with the value of that revival. He 
said to a convention of ministers : ' Look at this as- 
sembly. The simple Gospel has been preached here 
to sinners, not as a plea against infidelity, but as a 
proclamation. We thought we were all dead, frozen, 
and crystallized. But this work has held New York 
for a month. I believe if this could go on for six 
months our police might be disbanded, and we could 
hold New York for God.' 

" The Doctor carried this spirit into his own 
Church work, for he added : ' Such a thing as an 
inquiry meeting had never taken place under my so- 
ber ministry in my staid church : but I resolved that 
I would appoint one. On Sabbath morning I 
preached from the text, " Come, for all things are 
now ready.'' I said to them : '' This sermon pre- 
supposes and involves an invitation, nozv and here. 
It does not imply that you are to go away after the 
sermon and spend two or three hours exposed to the 
influence of the world, the flesh and the devil, but 
that now and here you are to have an opportunity of 
accepting Christ." The inquiry meeting was ap- 
pointed, and ten persons came in and accepted 



* Revivals, how and when. 



REVIVALS DEFINED 5 

Christ ; and one of them was a dear young man for 
whom I had long been yearning.' 

" Dr. Booth continued : ' Brethren, have we not 
to revolutionize the whole system of preaching, and 
change somewhat our mode of operations? The 
trouble is our sermons do not mount to the climax. 
If they are mere orations and theories of Christian- 
ity, an invitation at such a meeting is incongruous 
and absurd. But when the sermon says Come, from 
beginning to end. When it is appended to the cross, 
when it is bleeding with tears and sobs all the way 
through, then we can say, '' Come to Jesus." ' This 
action and testimony showed a hearty belief in re- 
vivals. How, indeed, can their worth be ques- 
tioned?" 

It would seem to us that every thoughtful student 
of the word of God must come to a hearty belief in 
this most important subject. The Old Testament is 
filled with its references to times of humiliation and 
corresponding times of exultation. The earthly life 
of Jesus was one constant experience of revival. 
After He had risen from the dead the early history 
of the Church was a history of revival : and he who 
would say a word against the subject would really 
strike at what has been the chosen plan of God for 
the advancement of His kingdom, always and every- 
,where. 

/ In the life of Mrs. Catherine Booth a story is told 
of a certain English family who reared in their 
household a pet tiger. They had treated it as we 
would treat a domestic animal. One morning the 
mother of the house, looking out over the spacious 



O REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

lawn, saw her little child playing under the trees 
with the tiger. A little later she heard a shriek and 
a scream, and the tiger came bounding into the 
house with blood upon its mouth and feet. Quick 
as a flash it occurred to the mother that the old tiger 
nature had asserted itself and that the child was 
slain. She rushed into her husband's presence, told 
him of her fears, and he, quickly raising above his 
head a piece of marble used to keep the door in place, 
hurled it at the tiger and killed it instantly, and with 
clasped hands the father and mother made their way 
out from the house, expecting to find the mangled 
body of their child ; but instead they saw the little 
one under the trees, with its face pale as death, and 
not far away the body of a wild beast slain. It had 
escaped from a menagerie not far away, had 
made an attack upon the child, and the tiger had 
saved the life of the little one. The father had taken 
the life of that which had protected their child and 
meant the real joy of their home. 

Thus it is with the one who makes an attack upon 
Revivals of Religion. They are not always free 
from criticism as they are conducted, but if we follow 
the Scriptural method and wait upon God for direc- 
tion there can be no better experience for the indi- 
vidual or the Church. 

Revivals are seasons when Christians are aroused 
to a more spiritual frame of mind; when special 
revelations of divine things are made to them ; when 
they seem to understand better how to pray ; when 
it is certainly more easy to put forth efforts to save 
the unsaved. 



REVIVALS DEFINED 7 

^ Mr. Finney says: " Look back at the history of 
the Jews, and you will see that God used to maintain 
religion among them by special occasions, when 
there would be a great excitement, and people would 
turn to the Lord. And after they had been thus re- 
vived, it would be but a short time before there 
would be so many counteracting influences brought 
to bear upon them, that religion w^ould decline and 
keep on declining till God could have time — so to 
speak — to shape the course of events so as to pro- 
duce another excitement, and then pour out His 
spirit again to convert sinners. Then the counter- 
acting causes would again operate, and religion 
would decline, and the nation would be swept away 
in the vortex of luxury, idolatry and pride. 

'' There is so little principle in the Church, so lit- 
tle firmness and stability of purpose, that unless they 
are greatly excited, they will not obey God. They 
have so little knowledge, and their principles are so 
weak, that unless they are excited, they will go back 
from the path of duty, and do nothing to promote 
the glory o^God. The state of the world is still 
such, and probably will be till the millennium is fully 
come, that religion must be mainly promoted by 
these excitements. How long and how often has the 
experiment been tried to bring the Church to act 
steadily for God, without these periodical excite- 
ments? Many good men have supposed, and still 
suppose, that the best way to promote religion is to 
go along uniformly, and gather in the ungodly 



* Revivals of religion. 



8 



REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 



gradually and without excitement. But however 
such reasoning may appear in the abstract, facts 
demonstrate its futihty. If the Church were far 
enough advanced in knowledge, and had stability of 
principle enough to keep awake, such a course would 
do ; but the Church is so little enlightened, and there 
are so many counteracting causes, that the Church 
will not go steadily to work without a special ex- 
citement." 

According to this most wonderful man and the 
Prince of Evangelists, a revival means, first of all, 
the conviction of sin on the part of the Church ; 
backslidden professors aroused and set to work ; the 
renewing of faith on the part of Christians; the 
breaking of the power of the world and of sin over 
the children of God ; and when the churches are thus 
awakened the salvation of sinners will follow, going 
through the same stages of conviction, repentance 
and regeneration. Their wills will be broken down 
and their lives changed. Very often the most aban- 
doned profligates are among the subjects. Harlots 
and drunkards and infidels and all sorts of aban- 
doned characters are softened and reclaimed and 
made to appear as lovely specimens of the beauty of 
holiness. 

Revivals may be either false or genuine. If they 
are false, they are the result of human agency. They 
are simply a time of excitement, followed by reac- 
tion ; and that is in no sense a revival. 

Genuine revivals are the fruit of the Spirit. Until 
the Spirit be poured out from on high Christians 
cannot be quickened and sinners cannot be saved. 



REVIVALS DEFINED 9 

" The eiTective cause in all true revivals is the life- 
giving, light-imparting, quickening, regenerating 
and sanctifying energy of the Holy Spirit, convert- 
ing the hardened sinner and reclaiming the backslid- 
den and dormant believer/' 

The quaint old Thomas Adams says : '' No means 
on earth can soften the heart ; whether you anoint 
it with the supple balms of entreaties or thunder 
against it the bolts of menaces or beat it with the 
hammer of mortal blows. Behold, God showers His 
rain from heaven, and it is suddenly softened. One 
sermon may prick to the heart. One drop of a 
Saviour's blood, distilled on it by the Spirit, in the 
preaching of the word, melts it like wax. The 
drunkard is made sober, the adulterer chaste, Zac- 
cheus merciful, and raging Paul as tame as a lamb." 

Revivals differ in their beginnings. Sometimes the 
preaching of a sermon ; not infrequently a Provi- 
dence of God ; very often the tidings of an awaken- 
ing in some near-by church or community ; many 
times the visit of a pastor or evangelist upon whose 
ministry God has set some special seal — any or all 
of these may be the apparent cause of a real revival ; 
but sometimes there is no accounting for it from the 
human standpoint. There has apparently been no 
especial interest. There has been no particular ap- 
peal from the pulpit. There has been no marked 
concern on the part of the Church. But suddenly 
blessings come, and by the hundreds people are 
saved. 

However, this principle is always true, that revi- 
vals are the result of some special concern on the 



10 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

part of the Church for the unsaved and come as the 
answer to prayers that have gone up from burdened 
souls in behalf of the lost. 

We have known of cases where for vears the 
prayers have seemed to be unanswered and the con- 
cern to be of no avail ; but God is always true to his 
word, and sooner or later the answer will come. 

Revivals greatly differ in their phenomena. Some- 
times they progress with great excitement and en- 
thusiasm ; they are not for this reason to be under 
suspicion. At other times the movement of God's 
Spirit brings a hush upon the waiting assembly, and 
the solemnity of the judgment is on the people. 
Sometimes He seems to use the singing of the Gos- 
pel, and again He exalts far above all other methods 
the simple presentation of His truth from the Book. 
Sometimes the lay element is more prominent ; again 
the minister of the Gospel is the leader of the hosts. 

It is well for us to learn that we cannot very well 
bind the Holy Ghost with rules, and it is always 
true that where the Spirit of the Lord is there is 
liberty. 

The conclusion of the whole matter from our 
standpoint is this, that revivals are to be encouraged 
because God has ordained them. History has proven 
them valuable to the Church. Our human experi- 
ence has set the seal of approval upon such a method 
of work, and there can be no doubt but that not only 
w^ould our own beloved land be greatly stirred by a 
widespread revival of religion, but the heathen lands, 
which to-day seem strangely moved by the Spirit of 



REVIVALS DEFINED II 

God, would respond quickly to the awakening inau- 
gurated here, and it is within the range of possi- 
bilities that speedily the knowledge of God would 
cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. 



CHAPTER II 

REVIVALS IN AMERICAN HISTORY 

* " A LITTLE before the middle of the eighteenth 
century began what may be called the First Era of 
Revivals in this country, part of a religious move- 
ment that affected and moulded in a most remarkable 
manner the entire English-speaking world for three- 
quarters of a century. It followed what may be called 
the skeptical age of English history, the age of 
Deism. England was just emerging from the licen- 
tious age brought in by the Restoration, which the 
influence of William of Orange had not been able 
wholly to stay, and which the accession of the House 
of Brunswick — with its German tastes and customs 
and its hatred of literature, art and refinement, as 
well as its practical godlessness — helped to continue. 

" This desperate moral and religious condition 
brought about in due time the great reaction, which 
took on a two- fold character : that of the reconstruc- 
tion of religious philosophy and the advance of 
Christian faith, and that of a religious and spiritual 
awakening and return to vital piety on the part of 
the Church and people. 

'' The reconstruction of the religious life of the 
Church followed the reconstruction of religious 



The Church in America and its baptisms of Hre. 

12 



REVIVALS IN AMERICAN HISTORY 13 

thought. The Great Awakening began and soon 
spread over the whole English world. It took shape 
in England (i) in the Wesleyan movement, ulti- 
mately leading its adherents out of the Church of 
England and resulting in the formation of the Meth- 
odist Church in its various branches, characterized by 
Arminian theology and aiming at a return to prim- 
itive piety and religious simplicity; and (2) in that 
eternal gospel movement, the adherents of which re- 
mained in the Church of England, and which was 
represented by many eminently pious and godly men, 
and resulted in the formation and work of the Great 
Church Missionary Society that has done so much 
toward evangelizing the world." 

'' The Great Awakening in New England in the 
eighteenth century, under Jonathan Edwards, was 
one of the most remarkable religious movements 
of modern times. It came at the close of the great 
logical battle with skepticism, the aim of which had 
been -the re-establishment of the authority of the 
Bible as the supreme revelation from God. It was 
contemporary with the Wesleyan movement in Great 
Britain. The skeptical influences that had been so 
long at work abroad had reached and permeated 
New England and had resulted in shaken faith in 
the word of God and in general religious stupor. 
Jonathan Edwards gives testimony to the strange 
stupor, the marked insensibility to the greatness and 
excellence of divine things, and the general worldli- 
ness of the Church of that day, in his " Revival of 
Religion in New England.'' 

"Jonathan Edwards, the leader in this religious 



14 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

reaction, was equally eminent for logical acumen, 
theological learning, and spiritual piety and devo- 
tion. It is natural, therefore, that when his eyes 
were opened by the grace of God to see the condition 
of things, his efforts to bring about the needed 
changes, by rousing men to a sense of the danger and 
sin of their worldliness and stupor, should have been 
put forth with intense energy and directness. There 
was need to emphasize the law of God in its divine 
authority and its sacred sanctions, in order to ' break 
up the fallow ground ' and prepare a way for the 
proper and effective presentation of the gospel of sal- 
vation." 

'' Edwards' great theme, accordingly, was the sov- 
ereignty of God's grace in the salvation of sinners 
through justification by faith in Jesus Christ. In 
presenting this theme he gave some of the most pow- 
erful exhibitions of man's depraved condition, of the 
terrors of the divine law, and of the lost condition of 
sinners that have ever been made in the history of 
the Christian Church. Under the first of these sub- 
jects may be instanced such sermons as those enti- 
tled '' Men's Natural Blindness, in the Things of 
Religion ; " — '' Men Naturally God's Enemies ; " — 
'' The Self- Flattery of the Sinners ; " — '' Hypocrites 
Deficient in the Duty of Prayer." Under the others^ 
such as : '' The Final Judgment ; or, the World 
Judged Righteously by Jesus Christ ; " — '' The Jus- 
tice of God in the Damnation of Sinners ; " — " The 
Eternity of Hell Torments ; " '' Sinners in the 
Hands of an Angry God ; " — '' Wicked Men Use- 
ful in their Destruction only." 



REVIVALS IN AMERICAN HISTORY 15 

But equally intense and powerful was Edwards' 
presentation of the grace of God in salvation. This 
may be seen in such sermons as those entitled: 
*' Justification by Faith alone ; " — '' The Wisdom of 
God Displayed in the Way of Salvation ; '' — " Great 
Guilt no Obstacle to the Pardon of the Returning 
Sinner;" — ''The Peace which Christ gives His 
True Followers ; '' — '' God the Best Portion of the 
Christian/' 

Such sermons as these naturally stirred the souls 
of men to their very depths, and sometimes resulted 
in remarkable outward manifestations of feeling, as 
when, during the preaching at Enfield, of the ser- 
mon entitled '' Sinners in the Hands of an Angry 
God," the audience rose up in agony to cry out for 
mercy." 

" The great religious awakening in New England, 
of more than a century and a half ago, commenced 
in 1734, in Northampton, Mass., under the ministry 
of Rev. Jonathan Edwards, so well known as a 
writer and the last year of his life as President of 
Princeton College. Edwards has been, and is still, 
regarded as one of the greatest and best men that 
this country or the world has produced. He was a 
child-prodigy, commencing the study of Latin when 
but six years old, and when but ten years old com- 
posing an essay in which he ridiculed the idea then 
recently put forth of the materiality of the human 
soul. In 1716, when thirteen years old, he entered 
Yale College, graduating in 1720. He was religiously 
impressed in his early childhood. He was a most 
godly and devout man, with all his greatjaess pos- 



i6 



REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 



sessing a sweet, childlike disposition. After his 
graduation he was tutor in Yale College for two 
years, and dates his conversion at about his seven- 
teenth year, after which all nature seemed changed." 

'' The revival, as has already been said, began at 
Northampton, but spread very soon into other 
towns. Many, hearing of what was taking place in 
Northampton, came into the town to see for them- 
selves what was going on. Many of these, not 
knowing what to make of it, ridiculed the revival, 
and said that the efifects of it were from a '' distem- 
per." 

In his '' Narrative of Surprising Conversions," 
Edwards writes : 

'' This work of God, as it was carried on and the 
number of true saints multiplied, soon made a glori- 
ous alteration in the town ; so that in the spring 
and summer following anno 1735, the town 
seemed to be full of the presence of God : it never 
was so full of love nor so full of joy ; and yet so full 
of distress as it was then. There were remarkable 
tokens of God's presence in almost every house. It 
was a time of joy in families on the account of sal- 
vation's being brought unto them ; parents rejoicing 
over their children as newborn, and husbands over 
their wives, and wives over their husbands. The 
goings of God were then seen in his sanctuary, God's 
day was a delight, and his tabernacles were amiable. 
Our public assemblies were then beautiful ; the con- 
gregation was alive in God's service, every one earn- 
estly intent on the public worship, every hearer eager 
to drink in the words of the minister as they came 



REVIVALS IN AMERICAN HISTORY 1/ 

from his mouth ; the assembly in general were, from 
time to time, in tears while the word was preached ; 
some weeping with sorrow and distress, others with 
love and joy, others with pity and concern for the 
souls of their neighbors.'' 

'' President Edwards estimated that more than 
three hundred were converted in six months in 
Northampton, including persons of all ages from 
the child four years old to the man of seventy. 
Eighty were received into the church at one time, 
and their appearance deeply affected the congrega-' 
tion. Sixty more were received at the next com- 
munion." 

^ '' But the great exponent of the awakening in the 
eighteenth century, its chosen mouthpiece in the 
American colonies and among those of the Calvinis- 
tic faith in the British Islands, was George White- 
field, one of the most remarkable preachers and 
evangelists of the modern ages. He received his 
training under the same influences as John Wesley, 
and was in perfect sympathy with him in the general 
spiritual movement of that day. In the early portions 
of their ministry they co-operated in the work in 
Great Britain. Later, however, there came an aliena- 
tion and a separation that greatly limited the useful- 
ness of Whitefield in England, and doubtless had 
much to do providentially with his making the 
American colonies the chief scene of his permanent 
work. The separation from Wesley was mainly on 
the lines of doctrinal belief, while in the case of the 



* Memoirs of George Whitefield, by John Gillies, D. D, 



i8 



REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 



evangelical workers who followed the Wesleys the 
separation from those who remained loyal to the 
Church of England was on the ground of church 
polity. Whitejfield was not possessed of Wesley's or- 
ganizing and administrative ability, but was greatly 
his superior in eloquence and fervor. Indeed, many 
of those who heard Whitefield regarded him as the 
most eloquent of men, and the traditions of the re- 
markable effects produced, not only by his sermons 
but by the very tones of his voice, are still handed 
down. A curious instance, illustrating this feature, 
occurred many years since. The forearm bone of 
Whitefield's right arm disappeared from its casket 
under the pulpit in the old Federal Street Church in 
Newburyport, Mass., where he was buried. Many 
months after a box was sent by express to the au- 
thorities of the church by some one living in Great 
Britain. On opening the box it was found to con- 
tain the missing forearm bone of Whitefield, accom- 
panied by a note from the man who had sent the box. 
In this note he said that he had an intense desire to 
possess this right arm of the most eloquent nian that 
ever lived, and so had taken it from its receptacle 
and carried it with him to England ; but conscience 
had compelled him to restore it to the church and to 
its original place." 

'' His biographer's estimate of the place occupied 
and the work accomplished by Whitefield is doubt- 
less correct. He writes in his introduction as fol- 
lows: 

" No individual, in these latter days, has so identi- 
fied himself with the growth and spread of practical 



REVIVALS IN AMERICAN HISTORY 1 9 

religion, in England and America, as Whitefield. 
Divines and theologians there have been, and still 
are, and not a few of far greater depth, acuteness 
and comprehension. They are burning and shining 
lights, and revolved with no rival or secondary glory 
in their appointed spheres. They have done well, and 
to them be awarded all due honor and praise. White- 
field cannot and would not measure strength with 
them here. It was appointed to him to preach ; and 
before a crowd of drowsy worldlings, be to him the 
honor of having no equal or rival in the service of 
his Master. To compare Whitefield with Edwards 
is impossible and absurd; it is like comparing Sir 
Isaac Newton with Milton as intellectual giants, or 
the air with the earth as the conditions of animal ex- 
istence. Like his Master, ' who had a mountain for 
his pulpit, and the heavens for his sounding board ; 
and who, when his Gospel was refused by the Jews, 
sent his servants into the highways and hedges ; ' he 
imprisoned not his voice within the bounds of eccle- 
siastical limitation, but going forth into a temple not 
made w^ith hands, he bore the glad tidings of the 
Gospel as far as the air would reverberate them, to 
as many of those speaking his vernacular tongue as 
the measure of his health, strength and years would 
allow. Probably no one since Luther and Calvin has 
been such a chosen vessel for bearing the errands of 
mercy to the multitude ; no one has been so gifted 
with an almost inherent aptitude for converting his 
very adversities and afflictions into instruments, 
without which the very ends they were intended to 
frustrate would have been far less successfullv ac- 



20 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

complished. In this country especially, his name 
will be affectionately and reverently referred to, as 
having struck an almost miraculous life into a leth- 
argic Church, and as having put to shame the con- 
temptuous indifference of unbelievers. Under God, 
he changed our sterile religious wastes into verdant, 
heavenly pastures, and sowed on good ground those 
seeds of practical piety whose fruits yet bless and en- 
noble us in the institutions and habits that have been 
handed down to us from the religion of the last gen- 
eration. More than any other he is sacredly em- 
balmed in the religious remembrances of these peo- 
ple." 

" George Whitefield was born at Bell Inn, in the 
city of Gloucester, England, on the i6th day of De- 
cember, Old Style, 1714. He was not an exception 
to the rule '' that not many wise men after the flesh, 
not many mighty, not many noble, are called." His 
peculiar endowments were those of the preacher, and 
of the preacher merely, so that his life has little of 
interest in it except as connected with his mission in 
saving souls. 

Whitefield's early life was no exception to the rule 
that God always prepares his special instruments for 
their work in his own way, which is always the best 
way. A few facts are of special interest. His father, 
an innkeeper, died when George was two years old ; 
but his mother continuing to keep the inn, he was 
early made acquainted with the practical things of 
this life. 

Gifted with a strong nature, his own subsequent 
confessions show that the Holy Spirit led him 



REVIVALS IN AMERICAN HISTORY 21 

through an experience calculated to develop in him 
that unparalleled '' intensity of religious fervor, en- 
ergy and decision/' of which his later life gave proof. 
His biographers say of his earlier experiences: 

'' Judged by the terrible scrutiny of his own se- 
vere standard of self-examination in after life, he 
was pre-eminently debased, and proved his native 
depravity of disposition by a series of wantonly 
wicked actions ; yet his conscience was, at this time, 
tender enough to excite remorse and penitence for 
his youthful freaks, and to render him easy to be 
afifected by religious truth. He describes himself as 
froward from his mother's womb; so brutish as to 
hate instruction ; stealing from his mother's pocket ; 
and frequently appropriating to his own use the 
money that he took in the house. * If I trace myself,' 
he says, ' from my cradle to my manhood, I can see 
nothing in me but a fitness to be damned : and if the 
Almighty had not prevented me by His grace, I had 
now either been sitting in darkness and in the 
shadow of death or condemned, as the due reward of 
my crimes, to be forever lifting up my eyes in tor- 
ments. Yet Whitefield could trace early movings of 
his heart, which satisfied him in after life that God 
loved him with an everlasting love, and had separ- 
ated him even from his mother's womb, for the work 
to which He afterward was pleased to call him. He 
had 3, devout disposition and a tender heart, so far as 
these terms can fitly characterize unregenerate 
men." 

" He seemed to have had a notion from his early 
childhood of becoming a minister, and would imitate 



22 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

ministers in reading prayers, and in other ways. He 
was not without reHgious impressions at a very early 
period, and while employed in the menial tasks of 
the inn, he managed to write or compose some ser- 
mons. He sometimes spent a whole night reading 
the Bible. 

But Providence soon opened the way for him to 
enter Oxford University. One day a servitor of 
Pembroke College called upon his mother, and in the 
course of conversation told her that he had been 
more than able to support himself at college that 
term. 

" This will do for my son," she exclaimed ; and 
turning to him she said : " Will you go to Oxford, 
George ? " She secured the promises of friends to se- 
cure the place of a servitor for her son, and then 
sent him back to the grammar school to complete his 
preparation. He now devoted himself to study, cut 
loose from bad associates, gave up all evil and idle 
courses, entered into the communion of the church, 
and led a life of prayer ; so that when his preparation 
for Oxford was completed he was already, out- 
wardly at least, making religion the main business 
of his life. 

At Oxford, for a year or two after his entrance, 
he was almost without congenial associates. It was 
an age of abounding and extreme impiety and cor- 
ruption, and he was harassed and tempted by his 
godless associates, especially by his chamber fellows, 
who tried to force him to join them in these riotous 
modes of living. His persistent refusal at last made 
them let him alone to pursue his own course in peace. 



REVIVALS IN AMERICAN HISTORY 2^ 

The danger he saw he had escaped from led him to 
recognize and feel the importance of a Christian life 
as a protection from the temptations surrounding 
him, and a formal external reformation took place 
which his friends noticed. By a remark of one of 
them, he saw that they were supposing him to have 
reformed his inward as well as his outward life, and 
his conscience smote him that it was only an ex- 
ternal reformation, and he says, " God deeply con- 
victed me of hypocrisy/' Under this conviction he 
became prayerful, fasting and attending to other re- 
ligious duties. At Oxford he steadily refused to join 
in the common revelry, which caused him to be re- 
garded as a singular '' old fellow." He sadly missed 
the guidance and influence of some intelligent, faith- 
ful Christian friend, and seemed to be left alone to 
find his way out into the light of the spiritual day. 
He had the Bible ; but he misunderstood and misin- 
terpreted it. After a sorrowful and lengthy experi- 
ence, involving great suffering both bodily and men- 
tal so that an illness of many weeks followed, he re- 
mained in this sad plight until one day he became 
intensely thirsty, and the words of Christ, '' I thirst," 
came to him, and the fact that it was near the time 
of the close of the Saviour's sufferings. He says, 
I threw myself on the bed and cried out, '' I thirst, 
I thirst ; " and from this point his burdens left him 
and he soon acquired peace and rest." 



CHAPTER III 

REVIVALS IN AMERICAN HISTORY (CONTINUED) 

* " The second Era of Revivals in this country 
dates from about 1797. Among the honored leaders 
in the earlier phase of the movement were Dr. Ed- 
ward Dorr Griffin and President Dwight, associated 
with such men as the elder Mills. In its later phase, 
in what may be called the supplement to the Revival 
of 1797, the revivalists Nettleton and Finney were 
prominent." 

It has been said that '' the great saving truth that 
animated the revival movement in the middle of the 
century was deliverance from sin and hell, by faith 
in a sacrificed Redeemer; the great truth that ani- 
mated the second was the cordial recognition of God 
as a wise, holy, blessed, but absolute Sovereign." In 
its later phase the idea of human duty was added to 
that of divine sovereignty. 

*' The representative revivalists were Nettleton 
and Finney. Its doctrinal basis was that of submis- 
sion to God as the Sovereign, shading off into that 
of personal duty to God. The doctrine of the divine 
sovereignty had been so perverted as to destroy the 
sense of human responsibility. It was the feeling 



* The Church in America and its baptisms of Hre, 

24 



REVIVALS IN AMERICAN HISTORY 2^ 

that nothing could be done for the advancement of 
Christ's kingdom and the conversion of sinners until 
God's time came. " In God's good time, the Spirit 
would be poured out and men would be saved." The 
truth suited to rouse men from this condition was 
that of the duty of immediate submission to God, and 
of loving, serving, and honoring God. This charac- 
terized the preaching in the revivals. Its language 
was : '* My son, give me thine heart.'' *' Repent, 
and turn yourselves from all your transgressions." 
The preacher cried sometimes, '' Give your heart to 
Christ ; " sometimes, '' Throw down the weapons of 
your rebellion." 

Second Phase of the Second Era of Revivals 

" The work of grace that marked the second quar- 
ter of the present century may be regarded, as al- 
ready remarked, as a supplement of the first or 
earlier phase, and as naturally following upon that 
phase. The work of the earlier phase was closely 
connected with the churches and church life, and 
was largely under the inspiration and guidance of 
the settled ministry. In its later phase, however, it 
had its representative revivalists in Asahel Nettle- 
ton and Charles G. Finney. It came when a few 
years of quiet and declension had elapsed after the 
awakening at the opening of the century. Like reli- 
gious revivals generally, it appeared as a reaction 
from the prevalence of grave evils and defects in the 
religion of the day. The introduction of German ra- 
tionalistic criticism and speculation had tended to 



26 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

the increase of skepticism. The application of ma- 
terialistic and rationalistic methods to the recon- 
struction of philosophy, history, literature, art and 
language, tended in the same direction. The new ap- 
plication of steam-power and machinery, in which 
the English-speaking peoples have been the inven- 
tors and pioneers, gave a marvelous development to 
human energy and achievement, and led to greatly 
increased worldliness and to extravagant views of 
the value of worldly possessions. This, too, was 
detrimental to vital piety. Even the organization of 
the forces of Christianity, in the great benevolent 
and missionary societies, for the purpose of giving 
the world at large the truth and freedom of the Gos- 
pel along the innumerable lines of trade and com- 
merce, tended to formalism and dead works, the out- 
ward form being only too frequently allowed to take 
the place of the inward spiritual religion. Formal- 
ism had thus largely superseded vital piety on both 
sides of the Atlantic." 

'' The reaction toward religion. — It is always the 
case ; the inevitable reaction came out of the evil con- 
dition of things. The Church began to wake up to 
its own coldness and deadness, and to look for deliv- 
erance and revival. With this sense of need came a 
looking to God for help, and the work of revival be- 
gan and extended widely, especially in the churches 
of this country." 

" The doctrine especially made use of by the Holy 
Spirit in the preaching at the opening of this second 
era of revival was, as has already been shown, the 
doctrine of Divine Sovereignty. This doctrine had 



REVIVALS IN AMERICAN HISTORY 27 

been by many perverted into semi-fatalism. The 
impenitent laid hold of it as a pretext for continu- 
ance in sin, or as a bluff with which to meet the 
minister or the layman who should broach to them 
the subject of their personal salvation: ''If I am 
to be saved, I shall be saved ; and if I am to be lost, I 
shall be lost/' It was sought to shift the burden of 
responsibility from conscience and place it upon God. 
This made necessary a change in the preacher's point 
of view and in the Spirit's application of doctrine to 
the case of impenitent sinners. They must be roused 
from their slumbers by some word of truth that 
should be appropriate to their case, and that the 
Spirit should make '' the fire and the hammer " in 
breaking the flinty heart of unbelief.'' 

*' In the preaching of this period, the doctrine of 
the Sovereignty of God was still urged, but it was 
supplemented and complemented by the doctrine of 
Human Responsibility and Duty. " Submit to God ; 
repent and believe " — this was the two-fold call, im- 
plying both God's sovereignty and man's responsi- 
bility." 

'' The tendency of a few may have been — admit- 
tedly was — to lay the greater stress upon the former 
doctrine, seeking to break down the pride and re- 
bellion of man. The aim of others — among whom 
was Dr. Nettleton — was to hold the balance evenly 
between the two, so as to give God his rightful 
place, and at the same time rouse the conscience and 
quicken the sense of responsibility." 

" Until a little after the commencement of Rev. 
Charles G. Finney's work in western New York, 



28 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

Dr. Asahel Nettleton had attained a notoriety as an 
evangelist equal to that enjoyed by Mr. Finney dur- 
ing his long ministry of nearly fifty years. Very un- 
like in some respects they were, especially in their 
revival methods ; but both laid fast hold upon the 
fundamental truths of the Gospel. More than fifty 
years since, a most intelligent, excellent gentleman, 
an elder in Dr. Gardiner Spring's church, in New 
York City, speaking of Mr. Finney, said that his 
preaching, to him, bore a marked resemblance to 
that of President Edwards. These three men, Ed- 
wards, Nettleton and Finney, were unquestionably 
Calvinistic and their general preaching not inharmo- 
nious." 

'' Nettleton was a native of North Killingly, Conn. 
His father was a farmer. Asahel was born April 21, 
1783, the same day on which Samuel J. Mills was 
born. Young Nettleton assisted his father on the 
farm until 1805, when he entered college. His early 
education was in the common school of the district. 
His youth was blameless.'' 

"" General estimate of the man. — Dr. Nettleton's 
life was marvellously useful, and helpful. I never 
heard the opinion expressed that he was either a 
great or a very learned man ; but I never heard 
those who knew him intimately question his good- 
ness. He was a most godly man, serious, circum- 
spect, discreet, and gifted with rare discrimination, 
enabling him to know and read men, and greatly 
aiding him to adapt himself and his instructions to 
men in their various moods, with their diflFerent 
peculiarities, prejudices, conditions, and preposses- 



REVIVALS IN AMERICAN HISTORY 29 

sions. He had power to prevail with God and man. 
His rare success is not to be attributed to his great- 
ness, nor to his native sagacity, nor to the happy 
combination of gifts constitutional or natural, nor to 
everything combined in him, so much as his holiness. 
He walked with God, knew and trusted God. He 
had a mighty faith. He found out how much God 
loved men, and he was brought into sympathy with 
God for the salvation of men. His perception of the 
guilt and doom of sinners was intense and absorbed 
him. He was a man whose religious development 
would lead him to cry out while prostrated on the 
cold ground at the midnight hour, '* Give me souls 
or I die!" 

It is an interesting fact in revivals that they fre- 
quently succeed some great calamity. It was so with 
the wonderful work of grace known as The Revival 
of 1859. The churches, to an alarming extent, w^ere 
characterized by indifference and conformity to the 
world. Speculation was running rife, and men were 
entering recklessly in the race for riches. As a 
natural result, frauds and failures were very com- 
mon, and in a day the most fanciful dreams would 
perish and millionaires would become paupers. 

But God w^as working in it all, and as a direct re- 
sult there was a call sent forth to the Christians of 
the Nation for united prayer, and the result was the 
mighty awakening. 

In the upper lecture room of the Old North Dutch 
Church in Fulton street. New York, a solitary man 
was one day kneeling upon the floor engaged in 
earnest and importunate prayer. He was just an or- 



3^ REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

dinary man, one who had given himself very much 
to the helping of the lives of others. Indeed, he lived 
almost wholly for other people. He was without 
wife or children, and therefore gave all his time to 
going up and down the wards of the city as a mis- 
sionary of the Old Church. Such a burden for souls 
was laid upon him as he visited that he longed be- 
yond expression to do something for their salvation. 

He had given away tracts without number. He 
had made an innumerable number of visits. But this 
did not seem to satisfy him. He longed for some- 
thing more effectual. So day after day, many times 
in a day, he was on his knees in constant prayer, cry- 
ing out, '' Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do ? " 

He was about forty years of age, affectionate in 
his disposition, possessed of indomitable energy and 
perseverance, gifted in prayer, ardent in his piety, 
sound in his judgment, having good common sense, 
and a thorough knowledge of human nature. 

At noon on the 23d day of September, 1857, the 
door of the old lecture room was thrown open for 
prayer. At half-past twelve o'clock the step of a 
solitary individual was heard upon the stairs ; shortly 
after another, and another, until six made up the 
whole company. Thus the Noon-day Business Men's 
Prayer-meeting was inaugurated. 

The second meeting w^as held a week afterwards 
on Wednesday, September 30th, when twenty per- 
sons were present. There was much prayer, and the 
hearts of those persons were melted within them. 

The next meeting was held October 7th, between 
thirty and forty being present. From this time on 



REVIVALS IN AMERICAN HISTORY 3^ 

the numbers began to increase, until at last there 
were hundreds gathered for prayer. The tide rose 
higher from day to day, until in an almost incredibly 
short space of time New York was stirred. Brook- 
lyn felt the touch of God's power. Philadelphia, Bos- 
ton, Cincinnati and Chicago were all of them brought 
under the influence of the Great Revival. 

Its history can never be known perfectly. It is 
written in Heaven, and when w^e stand there we 
shall know the full story. 

No history of revivals would be complete without 
mentioning the one whose name is a household word, 
and who has been a blessing to Christians through- 
out the world, Mr. Dwight L. Moody. 

" Mr. Moody may be regarded as being, in his ca- 
reer and work, the representative of lay activity in 
the work of evangelization — especially of the Young 
Men's Christian Association as embodying and or- 
ganizing this activity. That Association has had 
largely to do with opening the way for him into the 
various churches and communities, and with awak- 
ening and sustaining enthusiasm in his various evan- 
gelistic enterprises. The sympathetic and social ele- 
ment and the spirit of Christian union, so prominent 
in the revival of 1858, have been marked features 
and elements of power in his work. 

" Mr. Moody's work may be roughly divided into 
three distinct periods. The first and earlier period 
was tentative, and largely influenced by the feeling 
that grew out of the revival of 1858, that lay effort 
was the chosen and all-sufficient means for the con- 
version of the world, and that the work was to be 



32 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

done under the inspiration and direction of the 
Young Men's Christian Association. One phase of 
this feehng was criticized by Dr. Chambers, in his 
memorial volume on the ' Noon-prayer-meeting/ in 
which he records the statement made in one of the 
meetings in the Consistory building by an intelli- 
gent gentleman from the interior of the State. He 
said that ' he considered that the great power of the 
church for the conversion of souls now consisted in 
the union prayer-meeting and the union Sunday- 
school.' Another phase of the same feeling was ex- 
pressed by a young and somewhat immature orator, 
when, in one of the great national conventions, in 
the height of the enthusiasm, he said : ' The Young 
Men's Christian Association has come to take reli- 
gion out of the church and ventilate it ! ' The 
method of this earlier period was that of the mass- 
meeting, under pressure of social enthusiasm and 
sympathy. 

" Mr. Moody is a wise man, and soon saw that the 
results he so earnestly desired could not be secured 
in this way — in short, that not only could not the 
church be ignored, but that on the contrary its forces 
and organization must be made the basis of all suc- 
cessful efforts, and particularly of all effort that con- 
templated permanent results. Hence, in the second 
and later period, the evangelist changed his method 
and, abandoning the mass-meeting principle, 
wrought only at the united request of the churches 
and pastors, and with their organized co-operation 
looking to the gathering of the fruits of revival. 

" In the third or present period of Mr. Moody's 



REVIVALS IN AMERICAN HISTORY 33 

evangelistic activity his work is directed from the 
educational center established at Northfield, Mass. 
Dr. Finney's work reached its third stage and cul- 
minated in the establishment of Oberlin, to advance 
his views and champion the anti-slavery movement ; 
Mr. Moody's may be looked upon as having taken 
permanent form in the establishment of Northfield, 
not merely as a center of education for the young, 
but more than that, for the inspiration and training 
of Christian and missionary workers, and for rous- 
ing the ministry to a more complete devotion to the 
Bible as the Word of God, and to the ' blood-doc- 
trines ' as the source of evangelical power and suc- 
cess. From this point, where his summers are spent 
with many thousands of college graduates and min- 
isters, and with the aid of many of the most earnest 
preachers and evangelists of the present age, Mr. 
Moody still carries on his evangelistic labors over 
this country during the remainder of the year. 

" In the present sketch attention will be chiefly 
confined to the evangelist's early work in Great 
Britain and Ireland, and to his later work in the Chi- 
cago campaign in connection with the Columbian 
Exposition. 

'' Dwight L. Moody was born at Northfield, 
Mass., February 5, 1837. His early education was 
limited, owing largely to lack of disposition to im- 
prove the advantages within his reach. His parents 
were Unitarians, but ' their belief had no power to 
touch his heart or mold his spiritual nature.' When 
eighteen years of age he was a clerk in a shoe-store 
in Boston, and a member of a class taught by Mr. 



34 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

Edward Kimball in the Sunday-school of Mount 
Vernon Church. He appHed for admission to the 
Church May i6, 1855 ; but his knowledge of the 
fundamental truths of Christianity was so defective 
that he was advised to delay making a public profes- 
sion of his faith. After faithful instruction by his 
Sunday-school teacher and others he was admitted 
to the communion of the Church March 5, 1856. Dr. 
Ruf us W. Clark, in ' The Work of God in Great Bri- 
tain/ gives the following account of his experience 
immediately subsequent to this: 

'' ' Soon after attending a church prayer-meeting, 
feeling anxious to enter at once upon the service of 
his Master, he rose and offered a few remarks. At 
the close of the meeting his pastor took him aside, 
and kindly told him that he had better not attempt 
to speak in the meetings, but might serve God in 
some other way. To this he has several times re- 
ferred in his public addresses. In several instances 
he met with a similar rebuke. The strongest im- 
pression that he made upon many good people was 
that he ought not to attempt public speaking at all, 
and they frankly told him so. One of his dearest 
friends and co-w^orkers informs me that probably 
these repeated discouragements influenced him to re- 
move to Chicago, where there might be a more re- 
ceptive field for his labors. 

'' ' Some months afterward, in September, 1856, 
he accepted a situation in a shoe-store in Chicago. 
On Sunday he sought out a Mission Sunday-school, 
and offered his services as a teacher. He was in- 
formed that the school had a full supply of teachers, 



REVIVALS IN AMERICAN HISTORY 35 

but if he would gather a class he might occupy a seat 
in the school-room. The next Sabbath he appeared 
with eighteen hoys, and a place was assigned him 
for his new and rough recruits. This was the begin- 
ning of his mission to the masses. On that day he 
unfolded his theory of how '' to reach the masses — 
go for them." It will be impossible to do more than 
hint at some of the steps in his development and 
progress.' 

He soon after commenced the North Market Mis- 
sion School, in the old Market-hall, which in six 
years grew to over a thousand members. 

'' The great revival of the winter of 1857-58 led 
to the formation of the Young Men's Christian As- 
sociation of Chicago. The daily union prayer-meet- 
ing, begun in January, 1858, gradually diminished in 
numbers and was soon given over, by the committee 
having it in charge, to the Association, which con- 
tinued it, often with only three or four present. 
About this time Mr. Moody began attending the 
meetings, and by his personal efforts induced more 
than a hundred persons to join the praying-band. 
Dr. Clark records the next step of Mr. Moody, as 
follow^s : 

'' ' About this time he said to a dear friend, who 
had been intimately associated with him in his vari- 
ous Christian labors, " I have decided to give to God 
all my time." Previous to this he had devoted his 
evenings and Sabbaths, and occasionally a whole 
day, to laboring for the Lord. His friend asked him 
" How he expected to live? " He replied, '' God will 
provide if He wishes me to keep on ; and I will keep 



36 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

on until I am obliged to stop/' Since that day he has 
received no salary from any individual or society; 
but God has supplied his wants.' " 

'' In 1863 his work had attained to such magnitude 
that a large and commodious building, costing 
$20,000, was erected on Illinois street. John V. Far- 
well, the wealthy merchant, at this time gave Mr. 
Moody a house w^hich was handsomely furnished by 
other friends. The great fire of October, 1871, swept 
away church and home and all his property save his 
Bagster Bible, which he carried with him in escap- 
ing from the flames. Five weeks after the fire, the 
erection of ' The North Side Tabernacle,' on the 
corner of Wells and Ontario streets, was begun, and 
the structure completed in thirty days. From this 
point as a center he continued to carry on his work 
until he entered upon his larger work when he went 
abroad in 1873. 

" Mr. Moody is a man of unbounded energy and 
capacity for work and a born leader of men. He 
once said, ' It is better to get ten men to work than 
for one to do the work of ten men.' He has shown 
his capacity for doing both." 

'' It was in connection with the Young Men's 
Christian Association that Mr. Moody became ac- 
quainted with Mr. Sankey, who was to take so 
prominent a part in subsequent revival work. Dr. 
Clark records their meeting and its results : 

" ' At a national convention of Young Men's 
Christian Associations at Indianapolis, Ind., Mr. 
Moody first heard Mr. Sankey, and was impressed 



REVIVALS IN AMERICAN HISTORY 37 

with the remarkable adaptation of his voice and style 
of singing to awaken the emotions and carry home 
religious truth to the heart. On conferring together, 
they found that their love of mission work and de- 
sires for extended usefulness were mutual, and they 
agreed to labor together in evangelistic services. 

'' ' For two or three years they were associated in 
Chicago ; and the union of Mr. Sankey's services of 
song and Mr. Moody's fervid expositions and ear- 
nest discourses became a new and recognized power 
for the extension of Christ's kingdom. They visited 
other cities and towns, and both constantly gained in 
ability to deeply impress large assemblies. God was 
with them, blessing their efforts, and preparing them 
for greater things to come.' 

'' Some special providences and experiences had 
to do with Mr. Moody's preparation for and entrance 
upon his evangelistic tour in the British Islands. Of 
these Dr. Clark gives the following account : 

*' ' On the T4th of last February Mr. Varley, the 
British evangelist, who is called the '' Moody of 
England," was giving a Bible reading in the City of 
New York, when he related the following incident : 
*' On visiting at a friend's house with Mr. Moody in 
England some years ago, I said to him, ' It remains 
for the world to see what the Lord can do with a 
man wholly consecrated to Christ.' Mr. Moody soon 
returned to America, but those words clung to him 
with such power that he was induced to return to 
England and commence that wonderful series of la- 
bors in Scotland and England in which he is still en- 



38 



REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 



gaged. Mr. Moody said to me on returning to Eng- 
land, ^ Those were the words of the Lord, through 
your lips to my soul.' '' 

'' ' Some months before his departure from Amer- 
ica, Mr. Moody passed through a very extraordi- 
nary religious experience. He called upon a friend 
of rare intellectual and spiritual gifts, and as he be- 
gan to speak he burst into tears. He said that he 
hardly knew what the Lord intended to do with him. 
He seemed to be " taking him all to pieces ; '' and 
showing to him his unworthiness and feebleness. 
He could hardly describe, or even understand, the 
peculiar emotions that had taken possession of him. 

" ' A few days after he made an appointment to 
meet four or five Christians for a season of earnest 
prayer to God. This friend being invited, on enter- 
ing the room, found the little band kneeling in 
prayer and all in tears. They were pouring out their 
earnest supplications in an agony of spirit, and could 
not be denied the guidance, strength and power they 
sought. They asked for a full baptism of the Holy 
Ghost, and that God would use them, as He never 
had before, for His own glory and for the salvation 
of multitudes of perishing sinners. We have reason 
to believe that at that time Mr. Moody received a 
fresh and full anointing of the Spirit, and that this 
was the divine preparation in his soul for the great 
work upon which all Christendom looks to-day with 
wonder and with thanksgiving to God/ " 



CHAPTER IV 

THE PRINCE OF MODERN REVIVALISTS 

Notwithstanding the fact that there is, and al- 
ways has been, abundant criticism concerning the 
office of the evangeUst, and this office is declared to 
be unscriptural, it is nevertheless true that it has al- 
ways seemed to please God to set His seal upon cer- 
tain men, and endow them not only with particular 
gifts along the line of revival effort, but also, in a 
very remarkable way to set His seal upon their min- 
istry thus performed. 

It is not in any sense to the discredit of the pastor 
of a church that his brother evangelist possesses 
some qualifications with which he may not have 
been endowed ; nor does it follow that because God 
has ordained the office of evangelist the pastor of a 
Church is necessarily without such gifts as would 
naturally belong to the specialist in this work. For 
to-day many of the most successful revivalists are in 
charge of Churches, and use their spare time to go 
abroad to other fields of labor. 

Paul was the Prince of Evangelists. For five and 
twenty years he travelled three times over a great 
part of Asia and Europe. At one place he wintered ; 
at another he spent a year and a half ; at a third two 
whole years. 

39 



40 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

Our Lord went from place to place preaching and 
performing His mighty works. 

'' Modern missionaries, in the main, are evan- 
gelists ; so were many of the earnest preachers of 
early days. Whitefield spent most of his life as an 
evangelist ; so did John Wesley, who rode horse- 
back a hundred thousand miles in his visits from 
place to place." 

But no such chapter as this would be complete if 
it did not fully present the one who is rightly styled 

The Prince of Modern Revivalists 

* '^ Charles G. Finney was born in Warren, Litch- 
field county. Conn., August 29, 1792, nine years 
after Nettleton was born. We quote a brief account 
of his early life and experiences from his " Memoir," 
wTitten by himself. It explains many of the charac- 
teristics of his later life that otherwise would be in- 
explicable : " 

'' When I was about two years old, my father re- 
moved to Oneida county. New York, which was at 
that time, to a great extent, a wilderness. No reli« 
gious privileges were enjoyed by the people. Very 
few religious books were to be had. The new set- 
tlers, being mostly from New England, almost im- 
mediately established common schools ; but they had 
among them very little intelligent preaching of the 
Gospel. I enjoyed the privileges of a common school, 
summer and winter, until I was fifteen or sixteen 



* Finney's Autobiography, 



THE PRINCE OF MODERN REVIVALISTS 4.1 

years old, I believe; and advanced so far as to be 
supposed capable of teaching a common school my- 
self, as common schools were then conducted. 

Irreligious environments. — " My parents were 
neither of them professors of religion, and, I believe, 
among our neighbors very few religious people. I 
seldom heard a sermon, unless it was an occasional 
one from some travelling minister, or some miserable 
holding forth of an ignorant preacher who would 
sometimes be found in that country. I recollect very 
well that the ignorance of the preachers that I heard 
was such that the people would return from meeting 
and spend a considerable time in irrepressible laugh- 
ter at the strange mistakes which had been made and 
the absurdities which had been advanced. 

" In the neighborhood of my father's residence we 
had just erected a meeting-house and settled a min- 
ister, when my father was induced to remove again 
into the wilderness skirting the southern shore of 
Lake Ontario, a little south of Sackett's Harbor. 
Here again I lived for several years, enjoying no 
better religious privileges than I had in Oneida 
county. 

'' When I was about twenty years old, I returned 
to Connecticut, and from thence went to New Jersey, 
near New York City, and engaged in teaching. I 
taught and studied as best I could ; and twice re- 
turned to New England and attended a high school 
for a season. While attending the high school, I 
meditated going to Yale College. My preceptor was 
a graduate of Yale, but he advised me not to go. He 
said it would be a loss of time, as I could easily ac- 



42 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

complish the whole curriculum of study pursued at 
that institution in two years ; whereas it would cost 
me four years to graduate. He presented such con- 
siderations as prevailed with me, and as it resulted, I 
failed to pursue my school education any further at 
that time. However, afterward I acquired some 
knowledge of Latin, Greek and Hebrew. But I was 
never a classical scholar, and never possessed so 
much knowledge of the ancient languages as to 
think myself capable of independently criticizing our 
English translations of the Bible. 

'' The teacher to whom I have referred wished me 
to join him in conducting an academy in one of the 
Southern States. I was inclined to accept his pro- 
posal, w^ith the design of pursuing and completing 
my studies under his instruction. But when I in- 
formed my parents, whom I had not seen for four 
years, of my contemplated movement south, they 
both came immediately after me and prevailed on me 
to go home with them to Jefferson county, New 
York. After making them a visit, I concluded to en- 
ter, as a student, the law office of Squire W , at 

Adams, in that county. This was in 1818 

" When I was teaching school in New Jersey, the 
preaching in the neighborhood was chiefly German. 
I do not think I heard half a dozen sermons in Eng- 
lish during my whole stay in New Jersey, which was 
about three years. 

" Thus when I went to Adams to study law, I was 
almost as ignorant of religion as a heathen. I had 
been brought up mostly in the woods. I had very lit- 



THE PRINCE OF MODERN REVIVALISTS 43 

tie regard for the Sabbath, and had no definite 
knowledge of religious truth. 

Attention turned to religion. — '* At Adams, for 
the first time, I sat statedly, for a length of time, un- 
der an educated ministry. Rev. George W. Gale, 
from Princeton, N. J., became, soon after I went 
there, pastor of the Presbyterian church in that 
place. His preaching was of the old-school type — 
that is, it was thoroughly Calvinistic ; and whenever 
he came out with the doctrines, which he seldom did, 
he would preach what has been called hyper-Calvin- 
ism. 

" I had never, until this time, lived where I could 
attend a stated prayer-meeting. As one was held by 
the church near our office every week, I used to at- 
tend and listen to the prayers as often as I could be 
excused from business at that hour. 

'' In studying elementary law, I found the old au- 
thors frequently quoting the Scriptures, and re- 
ferring especially to the Mosaic institutes as author- 
ity for many of the great principles of common law. 
This excited my curiosity so much that I went and 
purchased a Bible, the first I had ever owned; and 
whenever I found a reference by the law authors to 
the Bible, I turned to the passage and consulted it in 
its connection. This soon led to my taking a new in- 
terest in the Bible, and I read and meditated on it 
much more than I had ever done before in my life. 
However, much of it I did not understand. 

" But as I read my Bible and attended the prayer- 
meetings, heard Mr. Gale preach and conversed with 



44 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

him, with the elders of the church and with others 
from time to time, I became very restless. A little 
consideration convinced me that I was by no means 
in a state of mind to go to heaven if I should die. It 
seemed to me that there must be something in re- 
ligion that was of infinite importance; and it was 
soon settled with me that if the soul was immortal I 
needed a great change in my inward state to be pre- 
pared for happiness in heaven. But still my mind 
was not made up as to the truth or falsehood of the 
Gospel and of the Christian religion. The question, 
however, was of too much importance to allow me to 
rest in any uncertainty on the subject. 

" I was particularly struck with the fact that the 
prayers that I had listened to from week to week 
were not, that I could see, answered. Indeed, I un- 
derstood from their utterances in prayer, and from 
other remarks in their meetings, that those who of- 
fered them did not regard them as answered. 

" When I read my Bible I learned what Christ 
had said in regard to prayer, and answers to prayer. 
He had said, ' Ask and ye shall receive ; seek and ye 
shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. 
P'or every one that asketh receiveth, and he that 
seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be 
opened.' I read also what Christ affirms, that God 
is more willing to give His Holy Spirit to them that 
ask Him than earthly parents are to give good gifts 
to their children. I heard them pray continually for 
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and as often con- 
fess that they did not receive what they asked for. 

" They exhorted each other to wake up and be en- 



THE TRINCE OF MODERN REVIVALISTS 45 

gaged, and to pray earnestly for a revival of religion, 
asserting that if they did their duty, prayed for the 
outpouring of the Spirit, and were in earnest, that 
the Spirit of God would be poured out, that they 
would have a revival of religion, and that the impeni- 
tent would be converted. But in their prayer and 
conference meetings, they would continually confess 
substantially that they were making no progress in 
securing a revival of religion. 

'' This inconsistency, the fact that they prayed so 
much and were npt answered, was a sad stumbling- 
block to me. I knew not what to make of it. It was 
a question in my mind whether I was to understand 
that these persons were not truly Christians, and 
therefore did not prevail with God; or did I mis- 
understand the promises and teachings of the Bible 
on the subject; or was I to conclude that the Bible 
was not true? Here was something inexplicable to 
me ; and it seemed, at one time, that it would almost 
drive me into skepticism. It seemed to me that the 
teachings of the Bible did not at all accord with the 
facts which were before my eyes. 

'' On one occasion, when I was in one of the prayer 
meetings, I was asked if I did not desire that they 
should pray for me. I told them No ; because I did 
not see that God answered their prayers. I said ' I 
suppose I need to be prayed for, for I am conscious 
that I am a sinner ; but I do not see that it would do 
any good for you to pray for me ; for you are continu- 
ally asking, but you do not receive. You have been 
praying for a revival of religion ever since I have 
been in Adams, and yet you have it not. You have 



46 



REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 



been praying for the Holy Spirit to descend upon 
yourselves, and yet complaining of your leanness.' 
I recollect having used this expression at that time : 
' You have prayed enough since I have attended 
these meetmgs to have prayed the devil out of Adams 
if there is any virtue in your prayers. But here you 
are praying on, and complaining still' I was quite 
in earnest in what I said, and not a little irritable, I 
think, in consequence of my being brought so con- 
tinually face to face with the religious truth, which 
was a new state of things to me. 

'' But on further reading of my Bible, it struck me 
that the reason why their prayers were not answered 
was because they did not comply with the revealed 
condition upon which God had promised to answer 
prayers ; that they did not pray in faith, in the sense 
of expecting God to give them the things that they 
asked for. 

Roused to his need of salvation, — '' This being 
settled, I was brought face to face with the question 
whether I would accept Christ as presented in the 
Gospel, or pursue a worldly course of life. At this 
period, my mind, as I have since known, was so 
much impressed by the Holy Spirit that I could not 
long leave this question unsettled, nor could I long 
hesitate between the two courses of life presented 

to me. 

" On a Sabbath evening, in the autumn of 182 1, I 
made up my mind that I would settle the question of 
my soul's salvation at once, that if it were possible I 
would make my peace with God. But as I was very 
busy in the affairs of my office I knew that without 



THE PRINCE OF MODERN REVIVALISTS 47 

great firmnevSs of purpose I should never effectually 
attend to the subject. I, therefore, then and there 
resolved, as tar as possible, to avoid all business, and 
everything that would divert my attention, and to 
give myself wholly to the work of securing the sal- 
vation of my soul. I carried this resolution into exe- 
cution as thoroughly as I could. I was, however, 
obliged to be a good deal in the office. But as the 
providence of God would have it, I was not much 
occupied either on Monday or Tuesday, and had op- 
portunity to read my Bible and engage in prayer 
most of the time. 

" But I was very proud without knowing it. I 
had supposed that I had not much regard for the 
opinions of others, whether they thought this or that 
in regard to myself ; and I had in fact been quite sin- 
gular in attending the prayer meetings, and in the 
degree of attention that I had paid to religion while 
in Adams. In this respect I had been so singular as 
to lead the church at times to think that I must be 
an anxious inquirer. But I found, when I had come 
to face the question, that I was very unwilling to 
have any one know that I was seeking the salvation 
of my soul. When I prayed I would only whisper my 
prayer, after having stopped the keyhole to the door, 
lest some one should discover that I was engaged in 
prayer. Before that time I had my Bible lying on 
the table with the law books ; and it never had oc- 
curred to me to be ashamed of being found reading 
it, any more than I should be ashamed of being 
found reading any of my other books. 

*' But after I had addressed myself in earnest ta 



48 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

the subject of my own salvation, I kept my Bible, as 
much as I could, out of sight. If I was reading it 
when anybody came in, I would throw my law books 
upon it, to create the impression that I had not had it 
in my hand. Instead of being outspoken and willing 
to talk with anybody and everybody on the subject as 
befqre, I found myself unwilling to converse with 
anybody. I did not want to see my minister, because 
I did not want to let him know how I felt, and I had 
no confidence that he would understand my case and 
give me the direction that I needed. For the same 
reasons I avoided conversation with the elders of 
the church, or with any of the Christian people. I 
was ashamed to let them know how I felt, on the one 
hand ; on the other, I was afraid they would misdi- 
rect me. I felt myself shut up to the Bible. 

'' During Monday and Tuesday my convictions in- 
creased; but still it seemed as if my heart grew 
harder. I could not shed a tear ; I could not pray. I 
had no opportunity to pray above my breath ; and 
frequently I felt that if I could be alone where I 
could use my voice and let myself out, I should find 
relief in prayer. I was shy, and avoided, as much as 
I could, speaking to anybody on any subject. I en- 
deavored, however, to do this in a way that would 
excite no suspicion in any mind that I was seeking 
the salvation of my soul. 

*' Tuesday night I had become very nervous ; and 
in the night a strange feeling came over me as if I 
was about to die. I knew that if I did I should sink 
down to hell ; but I quieted myself as best I could 
until morning. 



THE PRINCE OF MODERN REVIVALISTS 49 

'* At an early hour I started for the office. But 
just before 1 arrived at the office something seemed 
to confront me with questions Hke this ; indeed, it 
seemed as if the inquiry was within myself, as if an 
inward voice said to me, * What are you waiting for ? 
Did you not promise to give your heart to God ? And 
what are you trying to do ? Are you endeavoring to 
work out a righteousness of your own ? ' 

'' Just at this point the whole question of Gospel 
salvation opened to my mind in a manner most mar- 
velous to me at the time. I think I then saw, as 
clearly as I ever have in my life, the reality and ful- 
ness of the atonement of Christ. I saw that His work 
was a finished work ; and that, instead of having or 
needing any righteousness, of God through Christ. 
Gospel salvation seemed to me to be an offer of some- 
thing to be accepted ; and that it was full and com- 
plete, and all that was necessary on my part was to 
get my own consent to give up my sins and accept 
Christ. Salvation, it seemed to me, instead of 
being a thing to be wrought out by my own works, 
was a thing to be found entirely in ^the Lord Jesus 
Christ, Who presented Himself before me as my 
God and my Savior. 

*' Without being distinctly aware of it, I had 
stopped in the street right where the inward voice 
seemed to arrest me. How long I remained in that 
position I cannot say. But after this distinct revela- 
tion had stood for some little time before my mind, 
the question seemed to be put, ' Will you accept it 
now, to-day?' I replied, 'Yes, I will accept it to- 
day, or I will die in the attempt.' 



\ ' 



50 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

" North of the village, and over a hill, lay a piece 
of woods, in which I was almost in the daily habit 
of walking, more or less, when it was pleasant 
w^eather. It was now October, and the time was past 
for my frequent walks there. Nevertheless, instead 
of going to my office, I turned and bent my course 
toward the woods, feeling that 1 must be alone and 
away from all human eyes and ears, so that I could 
pour out my prayer to God. 

*' But still my pride must show itself. As I went 
over the hill, it occurred to me that someone might 
see me and suppose that I was going away to pray. 
Yet probably there was not a person upon earth that 
would have suspected such a thing had he seen me 
going. But so great was my pride, and so much was 
I possessed with the fear of man, that I recollect that 
I skulked along under the fence till I got so far out 
of sight that no one from the village could see me. I 
then penetrated into the woods, I should think a 
quarter of a mile, went over on to the other side of 
the hill, and found a place where some large trees 
had fallen across each other ; leaving an open space 
between. There I saw I could make a kind of closet. 
I crept into this place and knelt down for prayer. As 
I turned to go up into the woods, I recollect to have 
said, ' I will give my heart to God, or I will never 
come down from there.' I recollect repeating this as 
I went up — ' I will give my heart to God before I 
ever come down again.' 

" But when I attempted to pray, I found that my 
heart would not pray. I had supposed that if I could 
only be where I could speak aloud, without being 



THE PRINCE OF MODERN REVIVALISTS 5^ 

overheard, I could pray freely. But lo ! when I came 
to try, I was dumb ; that is, I had nothing to say to 
God; or at least I could say but a few words, and 
those without heart. In attempting to pray I would 
hear a rustling of the leaves, as I thought, and 
would stop and look up to see if anybody were not 
coming. This I did several times. 

'' Finally I found myself verging fast to despair. I 
said to myself, ' I cannot pray, my heart is dead to 
God, and will not pray.' I then reproached myself 
for having promised to give my heart to God before 
I left the woods. When I came to try I found that 
I could not give my heart to God. My inward soul 
hung back, and there was no going out of my heart 
to God. I began to feel deeply that it was too late ; 
that it must be that I was given up of God and was 
past hope. 

" The thought was pressing me of the rashness of 
my promise, that I would give my heart to God that 
day or die in the attempt. It seemed to me as if 
that was binding upon my soul, and yet I was going 
to break my vow. A great sinking and discourage- 
ment came over me, and I felt almost too weak to 
stand upon my knees. 

'' Just at that moment I again thought I heard 
someone approach me, and I opened my eyes to see 
whether it were so. But right there the revelation 
of my pride of heart, as the great difficulty that stood 
in the way, was distinctly shown to me. An over- 
whelming sense of my wickedness in being ashamed 
to have a human being see me on my knees before 
God took such a powerful possession of me that I 



52 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

cried at the top of my voice, and exclaimed that I 
would not leave that place if all the men on earth 
and all the devils in hell surrounded me. ' What ! ' I 
said, ^ such a degraded sinner as I am, on my knees 
confessing my sins to the great and holy God, and 
ashamed to have any human being, and a sinner like' 
myself, find me on my knees endeavoring to make 
my peace with my offended God ! ' The sin appeared 
awful, infinite. It broke me down before the Lord. 

'' Just at this point this passage of Scripture 
seemed to drop into my mind with a flood of light: 
' Then shall ye go and pray unto me, and I will 
hearken unto you. Then shall ye seek me and find 
me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.' 
I instantly seized hold of this with my heart. I had 
intellectually believed the Bible before; but never 
had the truth been in my mind that fait'h was a vol- 
untary trust instead of an intellectual state. I was 
as conscious as I was of my existence of trusting at 
that moment in God's veracity. Somehow I knew 
that that was a passage of Scripture, though I do 
not think that I had ever read it. I knew that it 
was God's word, and God's voice, as it were, that 
spoke to me. I cried to Him, ' Lord, I take Thee at 
Thy word. Now Thou knowest that I do search for 
Thee with all my heart, and that I have come here 
to pray to Thee; and Thou hast promised to hear 
me.' 

'' That seemed to settle the question that I could 
then, that day, perform my vow. The Spirit seemed 
to lay stress upon that idea in the text, ' When you 
search for me with all your heart.' The question of 



THE PRINCE OF MODERN REVIVALISTS 53 

when — that is, of the present time — seemed to fall 
heavily into my heart. I told the Lord that I should 
take Him at His word; that He could not lie; and 
that therefore I was sure that He heard my prayer 
and that He would be found of me. 

" He then gave me many other promises, both 
from the Old and the New Testament, especially 
some most precious promises respecting our Lord 
Jesus Christ. I never can, in words, make any hu- 
man being understand how precious and true those 
promises appeared to me. I took them one after the 
other as infallible truth, the assertion of God Who 
could not lie. They did not seem so much to fall into 
my intellect as into my heart, to be put within the 
grasp of the voluntary powers of my mind; and I 
seized hold of them, appropriated them, and fastened 
upon them with the grasp of a drowning man. 

'' I continued thus to pray, and to receive and ap- 
propriate promises for a long time — I know not 
how long. I prayed so long that my mind became so 
full that, before I was aware of it, I was on my feet 
and tripping up the ascent toward the road. The 
question of my being converted had not so much as 
arisen to my thoughts ; but as I went up, brushing 
through the leaves and bushes, I recollect saying 
with great emphasis, ' If I am ever converted, I will 
preach the Gospel.' 

" I soon reached the road that led to the village, 
and began to reflect upon what had passed; and I 
found that my mind had become wonderfully quiet 
and peaceful. I said to myself 'What is this?' I 
must have grieved the Holy Ghost entirely away. I 



54 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

have lost all my conviction. I have not a particle of 
concern about my soul, and it must be that the Spirit 
has left me/ ' Why ! ' thought I, ' I never was so 
far from being concerned about my own salvation in 
my life.' 

" Then I remembered what I said to God while I 
was on my knees — that I had said I would take Him 
at His .word ; and indeed I recollected a good many 
things that I had said, and concluded that it was 
no wonder the Spirit had left me; that for such a 
sinner as I was to take hold of God's word in that 
way was presumption, if not blasphemy. I con- 
cluded that in my excitement I had grieved the 
Holy Spirit, and perhaps committed the unpardona- 
ble sin. 

The coming of peace. — " I walked quietly toward 
the village ; and so perfectly was my mind at rest that 
it seemed as if all nature listened. It was on the loth 
of October, and a very pleasant day. I had gone into 
the woods immediately after an early breakfast, and 
when I returned to the village I found it was din- 
ner time. Yet I had been wholly unconscious of the 
time that had passed ; it appeared to me that I had 
been gone from the village but a short time. 

'' But how was I to account for the quiet state of 
my mind ? I tried to recall my conviction, to get rid 
of the load of sin under which I had been laboring. 
But all sense of sin, all consciousness of present sin 
or guilt, had departed from me. I said to myself, 
' What is this, that I cannot arouse any sense of 
guilt in my soul, as great a sinner as I am ? ' I tried 
in vain to make myself anxious about my present 



THE PRINCE OF MODERN REVIVALISTS 55 

State. I was so quiet and peaceful that I tried to feel 
concerned about that, lest it should be a result of 
my having grieved the Spirit away. But take any 
view of it I would, I could not be anxious at all 
about my soul, and about my spiritual state. The re- 
pose of my mind was unspeakably great. I never 
can describe it in words. The thought of God was 
sweet to my mind, and the most profound tran- 
quility had taken full possession oif me. This was a 
great mystery; but it did not distress or perplex 
me. 

" I went to my dinner, but found that I had no 
appetite to eat. I then went to the office, and found 

that Squire W had gone to dinner. I took down 

my bass-viol, and, as I was accustomed to do, began 
to play and sing some pieces of sacred music. But 
as soon as I began to sing those sacred words I be- 
gan to weep. It seemed as if my heart was all liquid ; 
and my feelings were in such a state that I could not 
hear my own voice in singing without causing my 
sensibility to overflow. I wondered at this, and 
tried to suppress my tears. I put up my instrument 
and stopped singing." 

Of this experience in the evening of the same 
day, when left alone in the office, he writes : 

'' All my feelings seemed to rise and flow out ; and 
the utterance of my heart was, ' I want to pour my 
whole soul out to God.' The rising of my soul was 
so great that I rushed into the room back of the front 
office to pray. 

" There was no fire and no light in the room ; 
nevertheless it appeared to me as if it were perfectly 



56 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

light. As I went in and shut the door after me, it 
seemed to me as if I met the Lord Jesus Christ face 
to face. It did not occur to me then, nor did it for 
some time afterward, that it was wholly a mental 
state. On the contrary, it seemed to me that I saw 
Him as I would see any other man. He said noth- 
ing, but looked at me in such a manner as to break 
me right down at His feet. I have always since re- 
garded this as a most remarkable state of mind ; for 
it seemed to me a reality that He stood before me, 
and I fell down at His feet and poured out my soul 
to Him. I wept aloud like a child and made such 
confessions as I could with my choked utterance. It 
seemed to me that I bathed His feet with my tears ; 
and yet I had no distinct impression that I touched 
Him that I recollect 

" How long I continued in this state, with this 
baptism continuing to roll over me and through me, 
I do not know. But I know it was late in the even- 
ing when a member of my choir — for I was the 
leader of the choir — came into the office to see me. 
He was a member of the church. He found me in 
this state of loud weeping, and said to me, ' Mr. 
Finney, what ails you ? ' I could make no answer 
for some time. He then said, ' Are you in pain ? ' I 
gathered myself up as best I could, and replied, ' No, 
but so happy that I cannot live.' 

Of his experience that night, which was the turn- 
ing point in his life, he writes : 

'' I soon fell asleep, but almost as soon awoke 
again on account of the great flow of the love of 
God that was in my heart. I was so filled with love 



THE PRINCE OF MODERN REVIVALISTS 57 

that I could not sleep. Soon I fell asleep again, and 
awoke in the same manner. When I awoke this 
temptation would return upon me, and the love that 
seemed to be in my heart would abate ; but as soon 
as I was asleep, it was so warm within me that I 
would immediately awake. Thus I continued till, 
late at night, I obtained some sound repose. 

'' When I awoke in the morning, the sun had 
risen and was pouring a clear light into my room. 
Words cannot express the impression that this sun- 
light made upon me. Instantly the baptism I had re- 
ceived the night before returned upon me in the 
same manner. I arose upon my knees in the bed and 
wept aloud for joy, and remained for some time too 
much overwhelmed with the baptism of the Spirit 
to do anything but pour out my soul to God. It 
seemed as if this morning's baptism was accom- 
panied with a gentle reproof, and the Spirit seemed 
to say to me, ' Will you doubt ? Will you doubt ? ' I 
cried, ' No ! I will not doubt ; I cannot doubt.' He 
then cleared the subject up so much to my mind it 
was in fact impossible for me to doubt that the 
Spirit of God had taken possession of my soul. 

" In this state I was taught the doctrine of justifi- 
cation by faith as a present experience. The doc- 
trine had never taken any possession of my mind, 
that I had ever viewed it distinctly as a fundamental 
doctrine of the Gospel. Indeed, I could now see and 
understand what was meant by the passage,' Being 
justified by faith, we have peace with God through 
our Lord Jesus Christ.' I could see that the mo- 
ment I believed, while up in the woods, all sense of 



^ 



58 



REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 



condemnation had entirely dropped out of my mind ; 
and from that moment I could not feel a sense of 
guilt or condemnation by any effort that I could 
make. My sense of guilt was gone; my sins were 
gone; and I do not think I felt any more sense of 
guilt than if I never had sinned. 

" This was just the revelation I needed. I felt 
myself justified by faith; and, so far as I could see, 
I was in a state in which I did not sin. Instead of 
feeling that I was sinning all the time, my heart was 
so full of love that it overflowed. My cup ran over 
with blessing and with love ; and I could not feel that 
I was sinning against God. Nor could I recover the 
least sense of guilt for my past sins. Of this experi- 
ence I said nothing that I recollect at the time to 
anybody — that is, of this experience of justification.'' 



CHAPTER V 

OBJECTIONS TO REVIVALS 

We have spoken briefly in another chapter of the 
objections which naturally are raised to revivals of 
religion; but it may be well to enumerate them 
more at length so that we may be prepared to meet 
such criticisms, and, if possible, drive away the 
prejudice which may stand as a barrier in the way 
of the progress of God and of His kingdom. 

The first general objection is that a revival is a 
time of undue excitement, and that this is always to 
be avoided in religious work. With such a state- 
ment as this we must take emphatic issue. 

^ " But is not a storm preferable to a parching 
drought ? The economy of nature admits of the pos- 
sibility of fearful torrents of the rain-brawling down 
the mountain sides, tearing up the meadows, and 
leaving sand instead of fertility on the plain. Why 
not, therefore, object to rain? Doubtless, on the 
whole, the atmospheric arrangement is a good one. 
Let us not, then, oppose revivals because occasion- 
ally the religious impulse rises above the usual level, 
and flows over the ordinary channels, and does some 
incidental mischief. Better have noisy excitement 



* Handbook of revivals. 

59 



60 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

than that the sterile wastes of worldHness should not 
be transformed into fruitful gardens of the Lord. 
The greatest possible evil is a deadly insensibility. 
When the house is on fire and the family asleep, 
better that they be awakened by violence than con- 
sumed. Better rouse them even at the expense of in- 
sanity than let them perish in the flames. 

'' We must also remember that the greatest and 
best actions have ever been performed in stages of 
excited feeling and high personal exaltation. And it 
is Dr. Bushnell, we believe, who says, ' If any one 
expects to carry on the cause of salvation by a 
steady rolling on the same dead level, and fears con- 
tinually lest the axles wax hot and kindle into a 
flame, he is too timorous to hold the reins in the 
Lord's chariot.' " 

It is not thought an unwise thing that there should 
be times of revival, or even of excitement, in busi- 
ness life; and we affirm that if the preaching has 
been faithful and the prayers have been honest, then 
revivals ought to come naturall}^ to the Church. 

There is hardly a church that has not heard its 
pastor pray that God might pour out His Spirit upon 
the community and turn the people from intemper- 
ance, profaneness, uncleanness and worldliness ; and 
in our prayers we have asked God for such blessings 
as would work the most radical changes in society 
and even in our business life; and if God were to 
answer many of the prayers that have been ofifered 
we should be in such a time of excitement as the 
world has never known. It would seem to us, then, 
that either we must change our form of prayer, or 



OBJECTIONS TO REVIVALS 6 1 

we must not object to excitement when the answer 
comes. 

It is also objected that revivals put disrespect 
upon the cause of Christ and the Church of Christ; 
for it is said that it is an acknowledgment to the 
world that the Church has backslidden and is there- 
fore out of touch with her head. And whether we 
wish to acknowledge it or not, such certainly is the 
fact, that in many cases the Church has backslidden ; 
she is out of touch with Christ ; she has lost power, 
both with God and with man ; and while the best in- 
stitution in all the world is the Church, and he who 
says aught against her is disloyal to both the Church 
and to Christ, yet it will do the cause no good to 
cover over her weakness and be afraid to apply to 
her the cure which is ordained of God. There could 
be no greater blessing to-day to the Church or to 
the world than that every denomination of every 
name should speedily be in the midst of a glorious 
awakening or a mighty revival. 

" Let us add here the words of Rev. T. L. Cuyler : 
^ It is made an objection to revivals of religion that 
they are *' mere temporary excitements." True 
enough. Pentecost lasted one day, but that 
one day changed the moral face of the 
globe. Luther's Reformation work was com- 
prised within a few years; Europe and the 
world feel it to this hour. The memorable 
revival of 1857 began with a few praying hearts in 
New York — it culminated in a few weeks; its out- 
ward phenomena ceased in a twelve-month. The in- 
fluence spread across the seas, and around the globe. 



62 



REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 



Did the results end with the end of the excitement? 
Have its converts all gone back to unbelief and un- 
godliness? No! That revival has its enduring 
monuments in nearly every church on this continent. 
Its history will blaze on one of the brightest pages 
of God's record-books which shall be opened on the 
day of judgment. Revivals are temporary in dura- 
tion. This is partly lo be accounted for through 
God's sovereignty, and partly through human im- 
perfection. Revivals are commonly short-lived, and 
they often are attended with a few excesses and 
false conversions. But would any sane man object 
to copious rain because it did not continue to rain on 
forever? Would he object to it, either, because it 
had swelled a few streams into a freshet, and carried 
ofif a few mill-dams and bridges ? Shall we do away 
with steam power simply because the boiler of the 
* St. John ' exploded and blew a dozen human beings 
into eternity ? Revivals are indeed attended with in- 
cidental dangers; but they are only such as belong 
to the constitution of imperfect human nature. They 
are in accordance witL the divine plan. They are in 
harmony with church-agency in the best days of the 
church's history.' " 

They are also objected to because it is said that 
revivals of religion are always followed by serious 
reaction. To which it may be said that this is gen- 
erally the fault of the individual church. If we feel 
that when the special meetings close the work is 
ended, then reaction will come. If w^e feel that a re- 
vival is simply a mountain top experience and then 



OBJECTIONS TO REVIVALS 63 

go down into the valley, then serious results will 
follow. But if when once we mount up on wings as 
eagles and get a glimpse of the heavenly life, we 
continue to walk in fellowship with the Risen Christ, 
then one may always be in a revived spirit, and a 
reaction is an impossibility. 

It is said that revivals are to be avoided because 
the conversions are not of the better sort, and that 
people supposedly saved at such a time easily drift 
back again into the world and are lost. Such a state- 
ment can hardly be proven. It is true that many who 
take a stand in times of special religious interest 
drift away from their profession ; but the number is 
not correspondingly greater than those who drift 
away after having made a profession of Christ when 
the church was in her normal condition. But if peo- 
ple are allowed to drift away when once they have 
been touched, it is to the shame of the church. How 
miany times we hear it said of the fruit of revivals, 
" We will see how they hold out," and if they wlio 
have been saved can stand for six months or a year 
men are quite disposed to believe in revivals, but if 
they should slip and fall after a little season, we hear 
them say, '' It is just as I expected; I never thought 
they would hold out.'' This is an un-Christly speech 
and can never have the approval of our Master. 

We believe that we are called into the household 
of God, among other reasons, to help hold out every 
unsaved soul brought to a knowledge of the Savior ; 
and many a man would be in fellowship with Christ 
and in touch with the Church if he had been held out 



64 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

by sympathy and by love, and been given strength 
which naturally comes with the word of encourage- 
ment and of cheer. 

'' In referring to the great benefits which the 
Presbyterian churches of Philadelphia have derived 
from revivals in the past, the Presbyterian of that 
city says : ' But are any inclined to think that we 
have reached a stage to which such things are not 
adapted ? — especially that revivals belong to the less 
cultivated, refined, wealthy, fashionable congrega- 
tions? Let it be remembered that the most intel- 
lectual ministers of our Church were converted 
through revival services ; that in every revival period 
the ablest of judges, lawyers and physicians in the 
neighborhood, are numbered among the converts ; 
that our continued salvation is worked out by awak- 
enings in our colleges, in connection with which, 
through the labors of talented and refined profes- 
sors, the intellectual young men of the day are 
brought into the ministry of reconciliation. It is a 
great pity if any of our people who have risen in the 
scale of wealth, and desire to be considered especially 
respectable and fashionable, consider themselves 
above such precious influences, and unadvisedly im- 
agine that these are only appropriate to the poorer 
and the less pretentious.' " 

Revivals are objected to because they seem not in- 
frequently to exalt the special evangelist. It is said 
that there is no such distinctive class known to the 
New Testament ; and it is also said that this is giv- 
ing countenance among the people to the idea that 
certain ministers on wheels have a kind of monopoly 



OBJECTIONS TO REVIVALS 65 

of the Holy Spirit and may command his services 
on call, and that it is disturbing and dishonoring to 
the pastorate. They say that every pastor should be 
a revivalist; should always aim to be in a revived 
state; should preach revival sermons, use revival 
methods, and expect revival results. This is a high 
ideal, but it is not realized in fact. 

The New Testament certainly speaks of evange- 
lists, and while there are men who have dishonored 
the name and brought the cause into disrepute, it is 
nevertheless true that God has specially honored cer- 
tain men in this particular form of work, and called 
them to be leaders of other men along revival lines. 

It is not to the discredit of a pastor that he is 
without special gifts along this line, and when an 
evangelist has his greatest success in winning souls 
it is because some faithful preacher of the Word has 
gone before him and laid the foundations deep. One 
sows and the other reaps. But it is likewise true 
that the pastor himself is not always revived; and 
while there are men to-day in the pulpit by the score 
who are skilled revivalists, and their churches show 
the evidence of their close walking with God, it is 
also nevertheless true that the presence of an evan- 
gelist upon whose ministry God has set his seal has 
meant the quickening of the Church, the arousing of 
a community and the salvation of souls, literally by 
the hundreds. 

It is objected to-day that in revivals too much ma- 
chinery is used and there is not enough of depend- 
ence upon the Spirit of God. With this objection we 
are in much sympathy ; and when one exalts his ma- 



66 



REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 



chinery to such an extent that the moving wheels 
seem to hush the voice of the Spirit, then is it most 
emphatically to be avoided and discarded. But if one 
may plan his work carefully, decide upon his meth- 
ods prayerfully, and bring his machinery, if it be 
called such, and place it all at the feet of the Mas- 
ter, and ask Him to take it and use it, and if the 
prominent thought in the work is not the machinery, 
but the Holy Ghost back of it all, then there can be 
no dispute upon this question; and that such an 
evangelist campaign is possible we believe with all 
our heart. 

The Spirit of God is not in any way to be bound 
by rules, but we cannot believe that He is in any way 
displeased by careful planning or thoughtful meth- 
ods. For God is always the God of order — and never 
does anything irregularly. The planets move with 
such precision that you may compute their move- 
ments to the fraction of a second. 



CHAPTER VI 

INDICATIONS OF A REVIVAL 

There are certain indications which will make it 
plain to the thoughtful Christian that God is on the 
eve of pouring out His Spirit in a more special way 
upon His people. It is my purpose in this chapter to 
suggest these indications, so that one may not be left 
in ignorance of the approach of a revival. 

Mr. Spurgeon used to say that he had no confi- 
dence in polished speech or brilliant literary effort to 
bring about an awakening on the part of Christians, 
but that he had all the confidence in the world in 
the poor saint who could weep her eyes out because 
of the condition of God's people and the unsaved 
state of the multitudes about her. 

A determination, therefore, to have a better state 
of things with God's help is the first and best indi- 
cation of an awakening. We must desire it above all 
things else in the world, or God will withhold it from 
us. 

It is easy to understand, therefore, how, when 
there is prejudice in the Church against a revival, 
and opposition to it on the part of the ministry, how- 
ever small, that God cannot work with power. 

An eminent minister is quoted as saying : ** I 

67 



68 



REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 



never had a revival under my ministry without la- 
boring for it, and expecting it." When there is 
real distress of soul because of the condition of God's 
people, there is an indication of coming victory. 
When Zion travailed,, she brought forth children; 
and it is a serious question if any one has ever been 
converted without the experience of agony on the 
part of someone who is concerned for them. 

The best illustration we have of this is our Savior 
Himself. His forgetting to eat at the well near Sa- 
maria; his bitter tears as He looked down upon 
Jerusalem ; His blood-drops as He bowed in agony 
in Gethsemane, and His breaking heart upon Cal- 
vary—all must serve as a severe rebuke to the in- 
difference of His people to those who are round 
about them already under condemnation. 

As a rule, another indication of the coming revival 
is the improvement in the prayer-meeting of the 
Church. When there seems to be a more earnest 
desire on the part of the members of the Church 
to take part in such services, and when their words 
have that peculiar ring about them which always 
indicates the nearness of the Spirit; when tears are 
seen in the eyes of the people as they listen, and 
when the hearts of God's children are melted with 
the testimonies of those who are saved and kept by 
His power — these all indicate the presence of the 
Spirit and the willingness of God to pour Him out 
with yet more and more of His fulness. When there is 
a sense of sorrow in the Church because of the back- 
slidden condition of the few or the many in its mem- 
bership — this, too, is an indication of the fact that 



INDICATIONS OF A REVIVAL 69 

God, by His Spirit, is touching the hearts of his own 
and waits, in yet greater fulness, to show His power. 

A thirst for the Word of God, which leads indi- 
viduals to assemble with greater regularity at the 
approaching services, and leads them to receive the 
Word with meekness — This, too, is an indication of 
God's working in the Church. 

When those who have been at variance with each 
other seek to make the wrong right ; when restitu- 
tions are made because of wrongdoing; when re- 
pentance is practiced, and there is a real turning 
away from sin of every sort — these are indications 
of the approaching victory. 

When there is real zeal on the part of the Church 
membership for the conversion of sinners, the indi- 
cations are growing all the more favorable. 

There can be nothing better said along this line 
than what Mr. Finney records in his '' Lectures on 
Revivals of Religion : '' 

'' I. When the providence of God indicates that 
a revival is at hand. The indications of God's provi- 
dence are sometimes so plain as to amount to a reve- 
lation of his will. There is a conspiring of events 
to open the way, a preparation of circumstances to 
favor a revival, so that those who are looking out 
can see that a revival is at hand, just as plainly as 
if it had been revealed from Heaven. Cases have oc- 
curred in this country, where the providential mani- 
festations were so plain that those who are careful 
observers felt no hesitation in saying that God was 
coming to pour out His Spirit, and grant a revival 
of religion. There are various ways for God to in- 



70 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

dicate His will to a people — sometimes by giving 
them peculiar means, sometimes by peculiar and 
alarming events, sometimes by remarkably favoring 
the employment of means, by the weather, health, 
etc. 

" 2. When the wickedness of the wicked grieves 
and humbles and distresses Christians. Sometimes 
Christians do not seem to mind anything about the 
wickedness around them. Or if they talk about it, 
it is in a cold and callous and unfeeling way, as if 
they despaired of a reformation ; they are disposed to 
scold at sinners — not to feel the compassion of the 
Son of God for them. But sometimes the conduct of 
the wicked drives Christians to prayer, and breaks 
them down, and makes them sorrowful and tender- 
hearted, so that they can weep day and night, and 
instead of scolding and reproaching them, they pray 
earnestly for them. Then you may expect a revival. 
Sometimes the wicked will get up an opposition to 
religion. And when this drives Christians to their 
knees in prayer to God, with strong crying and 
tears, you may be certain there is going to be a re- 
vival. The prevalence of wickedness is no evidence 
at all that there is not going to be a revival. That is 
often God's time to work. When the enemy cometh 
in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a stan- 
dard against him. Often the first indication of a re- 
vival is the devil's getting up something new in op- 
position. It will invariably have one of two effects. 
It will either drive Christians to God, or it will drive 
them farther aw^ay from God, to some carnal policy 
or other that will only make things worse. Fre- 



INDICATIONS OF A REVIVAL 7 1 

quently the most outrageous wickedness of the un- 
godly is followed by a revival. If Christians are 
made to feel that they have no hope but in God, and 
if they have sufficient feeling left to care for the 
honor of God and the salvation of the souls of the 
impenitent, there will certainly be a revival. Let hell 
boil over if it will, and spew out as many devils as 
there are stones in the pavements, if it only drives 
Christians to God in prayer — they can't hinder a re- 
vival. Let Satan get up a row, and sound his horn 
as loud as he pleases ; if Christians will only be 
humbled and pray, they shall soon see God's naked 
arm in a revival of religion. I have known instances 
where a revival has broken in upon the ranks of the 
enemy, almost as sudden as a clap of thunder, and 
scattered them — taken the very ring-leaders as tro- 
phies, and broken up their party in 'an instant. 

'' 3. A revival may be expected when Christians 
have a spirit of prayer for a revival. That is, when 
they pray as if their hearts were set upon a revival. 
Sometimes Christians are not engaged in prayer 
for a revival, not even when they are warm in 
prayer. Their minds are upon something else — the 
salvation of the heathen and the like — and not for a 
revival among themselves. But when they feel the 
want of a revival, they pray for it ; they feel for their 
own families and neighborhoods, and pray for them 
as if they could not be denied. What constitutes a 
spirit of prayer? Is it many prayers and warm 
words? No. Prayer is the state of the heart. The 
spirit of prayer is a state of continual desire and 
anxiety of mind for the salvation of sinners. It is 



72 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

something that weighs them down. It is the same, 
so far as the philosophy of the mind is concerned, 
as when a man is anxious for some worldly interest. 
A Christian who has this spirit of prayer feels anx- 
ious for souls. It is the subject of his thoughts all 
the time, and makes him look and act as if he had a 
load on his mind. He thinks of it by day, and dreams 
of it by night. This is properly praying without 
ceasing. The man's prayers seem to flow from his 
heart liquid as water — '' O Lord, revive this 
work." Sometimes this feeling is very deep; per- 
sons have been bowed down, so that they could 
neither stand nor sit. I can name men in this state, 
of firm nerves, who stand high in character, who 
have been absolutely crushed with grief for the state 
of sinners. They have had an actual travail of soul 
for sinners, till they were as helpless as children. 
The feeling is not always so great as this, but such 
things are much more common than is supposed. In 
the great revivals in 1826, they were common. This 
is by no means enthusiasm. It is just what Paul felt, 
when he says, '' My little children, of whom I travail 
in birth." I heard of a person in this state, who 
prayed for sinners, and finally got into such a state 
of mind that she could not live without prayer. She 
could not rest day nor night, unless there was some- 
body praying. Then she would be at ease; but if 
they ceased, she would shriek in agony till there was 
prayer again. And this continued for two days, un- 
til she prevailed in prayer, and her soul was relieved. 
This travail of soul is that deep agony which persons 
feel when they lay hold on God for such a blessing, 



INDICATIONS OF A REVIVAL 73 

and will not let Him go till they receive it. I do not 
mean to be understood that it is essential to a spirit 
of prayer that the distress should be so great as this. 
But this deep, continual, earnest desire for the sal- 
vation of sinners, is what constitutes the spirit of 
prayer for a revival. 

" When this feeling exists in a Church, unless the 
Spirit is grieved away by sin, there will infallibly be 
a revival. This anxiety and distress increases till the 

revival commences. A clergyman in W n told 

me of a revival among his people, which commenced 
with a zealous and devoted woman in the Church. 
She became anxious about sinners, and went to 
praying for them, 'and she prayed and her distress in- 
creased; and she finally came to her minister, and 
talked with him, and asked him to appoint an anx- 
ious meeting, for she felt that one was needed. The 
minister put her off, for he felt nothing of it. The 
next week she came again, and besought him to ap- 
point an anxious meeting ; she knew there would be 
somebody to come, for she felt as if God was going 
to pour out His Spirit. He put her off again. And 
finally she said to him, " If you don't appoint an 
anxious meeting I shall die, for there is certainly 
going to be a revival.'' The next Sabbath he ap- 
pointed a meeting, and said that if there were any 
who wished to converse with him about the salvation 
of their souls, he would meet them on such an even- 
ing. He did not know of one, but when he went to 
the place, to his astonishment he found a large num- 
ber of anxious inquirers. Now don't you think that 
woman knew there was going to be a revival ? Call 



74 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

it what you please, a new revelation or an old revela- 
tion, or anything else. I say it was the Spirit of God 
that taught that praying woman there was going to 
be a revival. '' The secret of the Lord '' was with 
her, and she knew it. She knew God had been in her 
heart, and filled it so full that she could contain no 
longer. 

'' Sometimes ministers have had this distress 
about their congregations, so that they felt as if 
they could not live unless they could see a revival. 
Sometimes elders and deacons, or private members 
of a Church, men or women, have the spirit of 
prayer for a revival of religion, so that they will 
hold on and prevail with God, till He pours out His 
Spirit. The first ray of light that broke in upon the 
midnight which rested on the churches in Oneida 
county, in the fall of 1825, was from a woman in 
feeble health, who, I believe, had never been in a 
powerful revival. Her soul was exercised about sin- 
ners. She was in an agony for the land. She did 
not know what ailed her, but she kept praying more 
and more, till it seemed as if her agony would de- 
stroy her body. At length she became full of joy, 
and exclaimed, ' God has come ! God has come ! 
There is no mistake about it, the w^ork is begun, and 
is going over all the region.' And sure enough, the 
work began, and her family were almost all con- 
verted, and the work spread all over that part of the 
country. Now, do you think that woman was de- 
ceived? I tell you, no. She knew she had prevailed 
with God in prayer. She had travailed in birth for 



INDICATIONS OF A REVIVAL ^5 

souls, and she knew it. This was not the only in- 
stance, by many, that I knew in that region. 

'' Generally, there are but few professors of reli- 
gion that know anything about this spirit of prayer 
which prevails with God. I have been amazed to see 
such accounts as are often published about revivals, 
as if the revival had come without any cause — no- 
body knew why or wherefore. I have sometimes in- 
quired into such cases ; when it had been given out 
that nobody knew anything about it until one Sab- 
bath they saw in the face of the congregation that 
God was there; or they saw it in their conference 
room or prayer meeting, and were astonished at the 
mysterious sovereignty of God, in bringing in a re- 
vival without any apparent connection with means. 
Now mark me. Go and inquire among the obscure 
members of the church, and you will always find that 
somebody had been praying for a revival, and was 
expecting it — some man or woman had been agoniz- 
ing in prayer, for the salvation of sinners, until they 
gained the blessing. It may have found the minister 
and the body of the Church fast asleep, and they 
would wake up all of a sudden, like a man just rub- 
bing his eyes open, and running round the room 
pushing things over, and wondering where all this 
excitement came from. But though few knew it, 
you may be sure there has been somebody on the 
watch-tower, constant in prayer till the blessing 
came. Generally, a revival is more or less extensive, 
as there are more or less persons who have the spirit 
of prayer. But I will not dwell on this subject any 



76 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

further at present, as the subject of prayer will come 
up again in this course of lectures. 

'' 4. Another sign that a revival may be expected 
is when the attention of ministers is especially di- 
rected to this particular object, and when their 
preaching and other efforts are aimed particularly 
for the conversion of sinners. Most of the time the 
labors of ministers are, it would seem, directed to 
other objects. They seem to preach and labor with 
no particular design to effect the immediate conver- 
sion of sinners. And then it need not be expected 
that there will be a revival under their preaching. 
There never will be a revival till somebody makes 
particular efforts for this end. But when the atten- 
tion of a minister is directed to the state of the fami- 
lies in his congregation, and his heart is full of feel- 
ing of the necessity of a revival, and when he puts 
forth the proper efforts for this end, then you may 
be prepared to expect a revival. As I explained last 
week, the connection between the right use of means 
for a revival, and a revival, is as philosophically sure 
as between the right use of means to raise grain, and 
a crop of wheat. I believe, in? fact, it is more certain, 
and that there are fewer instances of failure. The 
effect is more certain to follow. Probably the law 
connecting cause and effect is more undeviating in 
spiritual than in natural things, and so there are 
fewer exceptions, as I have before said. The para- 
mount importance of spiritual things makes it rea- 
sonable that it should be so. Take the Bible, the 
nature of the case, and the history of the church, all 
together, and you will find fewer failures in the use 



INDICATIONS OF A REVIVAL T^ 

of means for a revival than in farming or any other 
worldly business. In worldly business there are 
sometimes cases where counteracting causes anni- 
hilate all a man can do. In raising grain, for in- 
stance, there are cases which are beyond the control 
of man, such as drought, hard winter, worms, and so 
on. So in laboring to promote a revival, there may 
things occur to counteract it, something or other 
turning up to divert the public attention from reli- 
gion, w^hich may baffle every effort. But I believe 
there are fewer such cases in the moral than in the 
natural world. I have seldom seen an individual fail, 
when he used the means for promoting a revival in 
earnest, in the manner pointed out in the word of 
God. I believe a man may enter on the work of pro- 
moting a revival with as reasonable an expectation 
of success as he can enter on any other work with an 
expectation of success ; with the same expectation as 
the farmer has of a crop when he sows his grain. I 
have sometimes seen this tried and succeed under 
circumstances the most forbidding that can be con- 
ceived. 

" The great revival in Rochester began under the 
most disadvantageous circumstances that could well 
be imagined. It seemed as though Satan had inter- 
posed every possible obstacle to a revival. The three 
Churches were at variance; one had no minister, 
one was divided about their minister, and they were 
just going to have a trial before the Presbytery be- 
tween an elder and the other minister. After the 
work began, one of the first things was, the great 
stone church gave way, and created a panic. Then, 



78 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

one of the Churches went on and dismissed their 
minister right in the midst of it. Another church 
nearly broke down. Many other things occurred, so 
that it seemed as if the devil was determined to di- 
vert the public attention from the subject of religion. 
But there were a few remarkable cases of the spirit 
of prayer, which assured us that God was there, and 
we went on ; and the more Satan opposed, the Spirit 
of the Lord lifted up the standard higher and higher, 
till finally a wave of salvation rolled over the 
place." 

" Finally, Conviction of sinners in considerable 
numbers indicates the beginning of a revival. Some- 
times the change in this respect is very gradual ; and 
for a considerable time nothing more can be said 
than that there is a more listening ear, and a more 
serious aspect than usual under the preaching of the 
word ; and this increased attention is gradually ma- 
tured into deep solemnity and pungent conviction. 
In other cases, the reigning lethargy is suddenly 
broken up, as if there had come a thunderbolt from 
eternity; and multitudes are heard simultaneously 
inquiring what they shall do to be saved. 

*' Some of the foregoing views are confirmed in 
a sentence from Dr. Humphrey's Letters to his Son ; 
which is here reproduced : ' Favorable indications 
may pass away as the morning cloud and the early 
dew. I have myself experienced several such alter- 
nations of hope and discouragement before the revi- 
val actually came. There are, however, signs and evi- 
dences on which you may rely. If there are great 
searchings of heart in the Church ; if old hopes are 



INDICATIONS OF A REVIVAL 79 

shaken; if dififerences of long standing are healed 
by mutual confessions.; if Christians are remarkably 
humble and prayerful; if they speak often one to 
another, and if their bowels yearn over the impeni- 
tent, then is a revival begun. There can be no doubt 
of it. And when in connection with such a state of 
things in the church, sinners in considerable num- 
bers are awakened, when you find here and there 
cases of genuine conviction, and some individuals 
giving striking evidence that they have been born 
again, you need not doubt that a real work of grace 
has commenced in the congregation as well as in the 
church. But even then you should guard against ex- 
pressing yourself too sanguinely when you speak of 
the subject, and should exhort the Church to ' re- 
joice with trembling.' It is not certain that because 
God has begun to revive His work, He will carry it 
on; that because a few have been converted, many 
more will be. The Holy Spirit may be grieved and 
may depart ere you have sung out your first song.'' 



CHAPTER VII 

PREPARING FOR A REVIVAL 

As the farmer tills the ground, sows the seed and 
cultivates the growing vegetation, so are we obliged 
to make preparation for a genuine work of grace ; 
and, as a rule, the preparation must begin in the 
heart of the pastor himself. 

Thou must be true thyself 

If thou the truth wouldst teach; 

Thy soul must overflow 
If thou another soul wouldst reach. ^ 

It needs the overflow of heart 
To give the lips full speech. 

It will do little good to bemoan the deadness of 
the Church, and cry out against the worldliness of 
the people, if there be coldness in the heart of God's 
chosen leader. No searching sermons will avail 
much, and no w^ords of rebuke will have much 
w^eight, if the heart of him be wrong who is set as the 
leader of the hosts. And if this be right, then let the 
following steps be taken : 

I. Realize to a certainty that God wants to visit 
His people, and pour out upon them the power of 
His Spirit. 

80 



PREPARING FOR A REVIVAL 



8i 



2. Intensely desire the awakening of the Church. 
When the Son of God found the woman of Samaria, 
He forgot both to eat and to drink in His intense 
longing that she might hear the truth. Such a spirit 
as this must possess us to-day if we would have the 
victory. Indeed we must be like Jeremiah, in the Old 
Testament, with rivers of water running down his 
face, and like Paul, in the New Testament, willing 
to be accursed from Christ for his kinsmen, if we 
would have a Pentecostal season of blessing. Such 
experiences have come to men, and they may visit 
us to-day. 

* '' On one occasion,'' Rev. Dr. Griffinsays,"I felt 
that Jesus was passing by, and that we were to have 
no blessing, I went to the Church crying ' only, 
only, only, from God.' During the service I scarcely 
looked at the people. I felt that whether we had a 
revival was to be settled only in heaven. I felt that 
I was taking leave of some of my people. I came 
near falling. Of the one hundred souls converted in 
that revival, between forty and fifty were convicted 
on that day." 

An earnest young clergyman tells us that he was 
so filled with desire that he exclaimed, '' Lord, kill 
me if you do not give me a revival ! " He adds : " On 
the next Sunday my sermons were full of fire. I 
preached every night in the week. Monday night I 
called for inquirers. Again I called on Tuesday 
night. Nobody stayed. Wednesday night one poor, 
ignorant, ill-clad servant girl stayed. Then old 



* Revivals, how and when. 



82 



REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 



Adam said to me : ' Umph ! There is your sickle 
full/ My second thought was, God is here; and a 
tide came over me like the return of the Red Sea, 
and it swallowed my wicked pride as that sea swal- 
lowed Pharaoh ; and I said, ' I would work a thou- 
sand years to give one such soul to Christ ; ' and that 
spirit gave me success/' And that spirit will give 
any Church or minister success. 

With these conditions met, call the officers of the 
church together, and pour out before them the long- 
ings of your soul. Call them to a season of prayer, 
and lay hold together upon God for victory. In- 
crease the number of those waiting before God from 
the faithful few of the church knowing how to pray. 
Then summon your young people round about 
you, and let them see that your soul is on fire 
with zeal for other souls. Map out some special 
work, and lay your well-defined plans before the 
men of your congregation, specially invited to meet 
you for counsel. And with these steps taken you are 
now ready, in the most tender way, after the most 
solemn manner, to proclaim to the Church the deep- 
est truths of God concerning w^orldliness, sin and 
disloyalty to Christ. Your truth cannot be too 
searching. Your appeals cannot be too earnest. 

With such a campaign thus planned, a whole 
church could easily be moved, and one church on fire 
might mean the salvation of a city. 



CHAPTER VIII 

THE METHOD OF WORK 

The Holy Ghost is not to be bound by rules, as 
we have already said ; but it certainly cannot be dis- 
pleasing to Him to have a well-defined plan and as 
nearly as possible a perfect organization. 

If the work should be union in character, I do not 
know of any better suggestions to be made to those 
organizing for the campaign than these which fol- 
low, and which have the merit at least of having 
been tried and proved, and having, we believe, the 
seal of God's approval set upon them. 

If the work should be carried on in a single 
Church, with some modifications, the same sugges- 
tions could be used, particularly those applying to 
ushers and assistants. 

It would be far easier to lead people to decide for 
Christ and connect themselves with the church if 
some such system were adopted in almost every 
Church for a part of the season at least. 

The suggestions are submitted much as they 
would go out to a community seeking the presence 
of an evangelist to carry on revival work. 

83 



84 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

To the Pastors 

Dear Brethren: 

I need not say that the benefit your Church will 
receive in our coming united effort depends largely 
upon you. I have always found that the pastor re- 
ceives the greatest share of the blessing who makes 
the greatest sacrifice for the work and enters into it 
most heartily. Permit me to say that my greatest 
desire in coming to your city is to lead souls to 
Christ; but no word of mine shall for a moment 
draw the attention of the people from the pastors of 
the Churches. They are the real '' soul winners." 

May I not count on you for the most thorough 
preparation of your own people? Work as if every- 
thing depended upon you. In addition to the union 
preparation of the people, may I suggest, out of my 
own experience, the wisdom of your having a month 
of preparation in your own Church, using your Sun- 
day evening services, and your prayer meeting ad- 
dresses for this end ? For the former take such sub- 
jects as these: 

I. Confessing sin. 2. Personal consecration. 
3. Our responsibility for the unsaved. 4. What 
must I do to be saved ? 

For the latter take such as these : 

I. Revivals in history. 2. How may we pro- 
mote a revival ? 3. Hindrances to revivals. 4. Are 
we ready? 

I wish very much to make it plain to you that I do 
not count every one who may sign the inquirer's 
card a convert. They may be (for one could accept 
Christ in so simple a manner as this), and in many 
cases they are, but if they are not, they are in a posi- 
tion where they may be easily won. In this way the 
pastor is the one whom God has used to lead the 
seeker into light, and his influence is exalted rather 



THE METHOD OF WORK 



85 



than that of the evangeHst. In my own pastoral ex- 
perience I was able to reach nine out of ten of all 
who had signed the cards. 

Praying for a great blessing on our labors to- 
gether and asking you to pray for us that we may 
come to you with all the " fulness of the Spirit/' I 
am 

Yours in the Master's service, 
J. Wilbur Chapman. 

The Inquirer's Card 

It has been much abused and misunderstood ; as a 
pastor I found it worked admirably if I considered 
it simply a request from someone for me to call upon 
them and talk about their soul's interests. It was 
worthless if I considered it in every case an out and 
out decision. The card I have used reads like this : 

I have an honest desire henceforth to live a 
Christian life. 

I am wiUing to follow any light God may give 
me. 

I ask the people of God to pray for me. 

Name 

Residence 

Church or pastor preferred 

Usher's name 

This year I intend to use in addition a card which 
is really a committal. This is a sample : 

I do now accept Jesus Christ as my personal 
Savior. 

I will make an honest effort to follow Him 
always. 

Name « . . 

Residence 

Church preference , 



86 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 



General Preparation for the Work 

The cities best prepared have always yielded the 
greatest harvest. Too great care cannot be taken in 
this respect. I hope the following plan may be 
adopted; it is the best I have ever known. The fol- 
lowing is a description of the preparation at Jack- 
sonville, 111., written by Rev. A. B. Morey, D. D. : 

Six months before Dr. Chapman came we started 
a Union Bible Class, taught by the several pastors. 
We followed the Sunday-school lessons, in order to 
arouse and enlist the teachers in the coming cam- 
paign and prepare them to act as pioneers in this 
aggressive undertaking. This study of the Bible 
brought together some of our best equipped 
Christians and made them acquainted with each 
other, on the best of meeting places, God's Word for 
God's work. The very first effort to prepare our- 
selves to push forward our church work was to 
quicken and enlarge our faith, to awaken our ex- 
pectations, and to stir our souls to go out in search 
of the lost. 

We then went to work to see what we could do 
with what we already knew, three months before 
Dr. Chapman was expected. The city was divided 
into districts, with a supervisor over each district. 
From fifteen to twenty visitors were assigned to 
each supervisor, who were given from ten to fifteen 
houses to look after. The visitors went as friends, 
not as canvassers. They established a friendly rela- 
tion with the strangers and those who did not belong 



THE METHOD OF WORK 



87 



to any church and with the poor who needed help. 
They came together occasionally to report what they 
had done and seen. The result was a revelation. A 
state of spiritual destitution was uncovered in our 
church-going city, which we had not dreamed of 
and could scarcely believe. But in discovering the 
destitution, we found we had broken through the 
barriers that blocked the way to reaching and reme- 
dying it. Prejudice began to melt away as the out- 
siders saw us interested in them. The churches 
sprang to the rescue in hearty co-operation. The 
coming union meetings became the town talk. 

Our next move was to start a union prayer-meet- 
ing every Sabbath afternoon in one of the churches, 
and a neighborhood meeting in each district every 
Friday evening. The supervisors arranged for the 
places and leaders and the visitors invited the fami- 
lies under their care. These prayer-meetings struck 
at once the foundation of all our preparation, deep, 
earnest, honest praying. The result was the begin- 
ning of the revival. Families that never spoke to 
each other met in each other's houses to talk of their 
mutual interests. Church members who never dared 
to speak in public, sang and spoke freely in their 
own homes. Our prayer meetings began to fill up 
and to speak with new tongues. Our Sabbath 
schools began to show new life. Our Sabbath con- 
gregations became recruiting stations, rallying 
points for active service. Conversions followed as 
a matter of course, and before we expected it. we 
were realizing what we believed, that God waits to 
save. 



88 



REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 



Suggestions 

Let each church appoint from one to three repre- 
sentatives on a general committee so as to make the 
entire number not far from fifteen; unless the unit- 
ing churches number more than fifteen in which case 
let each church have one representative. Let all the 
active pastors be ex officio members of this general 
committee, though none of them need, necessarily 
be appointed on any sub-committee but the execu- 
tive. 

After selecting a chairman and secretary, appoint 
a nominating committee of one from each denomi- 
nation represented. Let them retire at once and re- 
port the names for membership on the executive 
committee, as follows: If not more than five 
churches are co-operating, a pastor and layman from 
each church. If there are between five and twelve 
churches, one pastor or one layman from each 
church. If more than twelve churches are repre- 
sented, twelve men selected with reference to the 
various denominations and their relative strength, 
as represented in the general committee. 

When the nominating committee has made this 
report, let the general committee adjourn to a fixed 
date, and the executive committee commence its first 
session at once. The chairman and secretary of the 
general committee are to be ex officio chairman and 
secretary of the executive committee. Let the execu- 
tive committee now proceed to the consideration of 
the suggestions to them hereinafter contained, so as 



THE METHOD OF WORK 89 

to be ready to make a report at the adjourned meet- 
ing of the general committee. In the meantime let 
the nominating committee carefully consider and 
appoint the best men in any of the churches for 

1. The Committee on Finance. Three members. 

2. The Committee on Advertising. Four mem- 
bers. 

3. The Committee on Canvassing. Five mem- 
bers. 

4. The Committee on Music. Three members. 

5. The Committee on Ushers. Three members. 

6. The Devotional Committee. Three members. 
(Select this committee from members of the execu- 
tive committee.) 

7. The Committee on the Free Will Offering. 
Five members. Let the chairman be the chairman 
of the executive committee, the other members to be 
laymen. This committee need not be appointed until 
after my arrival. 

l^^Please read all suggestions to all commit- 
tees. 

I. To Executive Committee 

You are to supervise and supplement the work of 
all the committees, besides making all arrangements 
as to the place and time of meetings, etc. After we 
come, the meetings will be held afternoon and even- 
ing, Saturday afternoons and evenings excepted, ex- 
cept as announced hereafter. Put the hour of the 
afternoon service at the time which will accommo- 
date the greatest number of your people, not later 



90 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

than half past three o'clock. Let the evening service 
9ommence at the earliest practicable hour. Hold the 
meetings in the most conveniently arranged and lo- 
cated church. We do not favor a hall or rink to 
commence in, except where all the churches are in- 
conveniently located or arranged, or where you feel 
confident that the largest church will prove too 
small. 

Read over all the suggestions to the other commit- 
tees, and be sure that they attend to their duties as 
outlined therein. You have power to make altera- 
tions in the membership of these committees as may 
seem wise to you, or fill vacancies that may occur. 
Give particular attention to the committee on ushers 
and assistants. 

Have a list of the names and addresses of your 
committees printed in convenient form for the 
pocket as soon as possible, and furnish these lists to 
all the pastors, and to every member of every com- 
mittee, and mail several of them to us. 

^;^^Please read all suggestions to all commit- 
tees. 

2. To Committee on Finance 

You are expected to receive and pay the bills pre- 
sented by the other committees. Arrange for your 
local incidental expenses : 

First, by assessments on the churches concerned, 
in proportion to size and financial strength, or, 

Second, by private subscriptions before the meet- 
ings commence. This is most important. 



THE METHOD OF WORK 9 1 

These plans are desirable in the order specified. 
This fund will pay all expenses of the various com- 
mittees, and our travelling expenses and hotel bills. 

3. To Committee on Advertising 

I. Do not state anywhere how long the meetings 
will continue. 

II. Make announcements for only a few days at 
a time ; never more than a week. 

III. Enlist editors and reporters of all your 
newspapers. Furnish them matter to awaken public 
attention for two or three months previous to the 
commencement of the meetings. 

See that reporters attend all the services and make 
comfortable provision for them. Furnish complete 
notices for every day to all the papers. 

IV. Have an attractive sign board in front of 
every church, united in the work. Bulletin boards 
the size of a large newspaper would answer. These 
ought also to be placed in prominent places about the 
city. 

Banners on the street cars or across the street are 
sometimes helpful to convey information. 

I would prefer that the meetings be not advertised 
as " Chapman Meetings." The following may be a 
good sample : 



92 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 



DR. CHAPMAN 

SPEAKS TO-DAY. 

3.30 First M. E. Church. 
7.45 The Opera House. 



Union 

Evangelistic Meetings 
To-day. 



DR. CHAPMAN SPEAKS. 



COME. 



4. To the Committee on Canvassing 

Divide your region into districts, and have effi- 
cient canvassers visit every house and store and fac- 
tory and office. They would better carry visiting 
cards, which you may have printed, leaving a space 
for the names to be written. 

This should be done the week before the meetings 



THE METHOD OF WORK 93 

commence. I need not say that you should get effi- 
cient workers to do this. 
This is a good sample: 



UNION EVANGELISTIC MEETINGS, 
Beginning May 24th, 



Conducted by 
Rev. J. WILBUR CHAPMAN, D.D. 

Music led by Mr. P. P. Bilhorn, assisted by a Chorus 

Choir. 
Services : 

At 3.30 P.M.— At the Presbyterian Church. 

At 8.00 P.M.— At the Methodist Church. 



YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED. 



This work is practically the same as described in 
the '' Preparation for the General Work," and the 
supervisors may compose the committee. 

During the last week of the meetings this com- 
mittee may be used to take a religious census of the 
city, so in the original plan make it large with this 
in mind. 



94 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

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5. To the Committee on Music 

Form a large union choir of as many good voices 
as are obtainable, and have them commence to prac- 
tice at once. Select a good leader to drill the choir, 
and engage a good organist to be present at all the 
meetings. Keep the same organist for all the ser- 
vices. Erect a platform in the building where the 
services are held sufficiently large to hold all the 
members of the choir, and let them be grouped 
closely about Mr. Bilhorn and myself. 

After I come, Mr. Bilhorn will take entire charge 
of the choir. 

It would be well to have an agreement with mem- 
bers of the choir to attend the evening meetings, and 
furnish them with ribbon badges, about six inches 



THE METHOD OF WORK 



95 



in length, like the sample below, numbered con- 
secutively, also number the chairs used by the choir. 




This will answer for a ticket of admission. 



6. 



To Devotional Committee 



Arrange tor the place of meeting for the after- 
noon service; do not begin in the largest church; 
generally I have found 3 130 to be the best hour, al- 
though you must use your own judgment as to this. 

Please plan for a prayer meeting for the women 
to precede this preaching service. It ought to com- 
mence forty-five minutes before my service and be 
held in the lecture room where the afternoon preach- 
ing service is held, to close five minutes before the 
time for the general services. (You may put this in 
charge of a separate committee of ladies, selected by 
you, if you judge best.) 

Arrange for as many Union Preparatory meet- 
ings as may be expedient; the more thorough the 
preparation the greater the blessing. For two weeks 
before I come the churches should meet together for 



96 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

worship, with the possible exception of Sunday, and 
the evening set apart for the regular church prayer 
meeting. 

You will find some suggestions under the head of 
*•' Preparation for the General Work ; " follow them 
closely. 

7. Free Will Offering Committee 

The chairman of the executive committee to be 

chairman, four laymen to serve with him. Please 

confer with me at your convenience after my arrival. 

^^g^Please read all suggestions to all commit- 
tees, 

8. To Committee on Ushers and Assistants 

USHERS. 

Your position is one of great importance, and 
much of the effectiveness of the meetings will de- 
pend on your careful fulfillment of the following 
suggestions : 

OiHcers in the Ushers' Association 

Chief Usher — Who has the superintendence of all 
the work in the building during the meetings, and 
has charge of assistant chief ushers, aisle ushers, 
and doorkeepers. 

Assistant Chief Usher — Who has charge of a cer- 
tain number of ushers and assistants. The number 



THE METHOD OF WORK 97 

of assistant chief ushers to be regulated according to 
the size of the building. 

Aisle Usher — Whose duty it is to aid in showing 
the people to the front of the building — to do per- 
sonal work with those standing near the door, and 
to collect from the ushers and assistants the cards 
signed by inquirers. 

Doorkeeper — Whose duty it is to see that the 
doors are opened at the time announced. To collect 
tickets at all services where tickets are used, and to 
see that people do not pass out of the building dur- 
ing service, except in case of sickness. The doors 
are to be kept closed during the singing of Mr. Bil- 
horn's solo, and during prayer. The number of 
doorkeepers to be regulated by the size of the build- 
ing. One of the number to be chief doorkeeper. 

Regarding the member of ushers, you zvould bet- 
ter have one for every fifty or sixty people zvho can 
be seated in the building where the meetings are to 
be held. 

Please do not vary from these suggestions in any 
particular, as in the past there has been more em- 
barrassment from having inefficient ushers than 
from any other one cause, in the conduct of the 
meetings elsewhere. 

I will meet the ushers for a conference at the close 
of the first evening meeting. Please be sure that all 
are present, whether on duty that evening or not. 

The great object in appointing so carefully the 
ushers and assistants is to be found in the fact that, 
first, through the ushers, I desire to have the audi- 
ence properly seated, and after that through them I 



98 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

may keep control of the audience in the minutest de- 
tails ; secondly, through the ushers and assistants, at 
a certain stage in the meeting, I desire to present 
a personal invitation to every person in the audience 
to receive Jesus Christ as a Savior, and then through 
them to place the inquirer's card in every hand. 

Badges 

I Have ribbon badges prepared for chief usher, as- 

sistant chief ushers, aisle ushers, doorkeepers. Ush- 
ers and assistants, with the name of their office 
printed on them. 

Opening of Doors, etc, 

I The doors will be opened half an hour before the 

hour advertised for the service, except in case of a 
storm. It is very important that ushers and assist- 
ants should be on duty at least fifteen minutes be- 
fore the doors are opened. The assistants will be of 
no use unless they are in their seats when the doors 
are opened, as, frequently, the entire main floor will 
be filled within three or four minutes from the time 
of the opening of the doors. 

Seating 

The ushers will stand at the rear of their sections, 
and direct people forward. Do not seat any one in 
any section until the sections in the front are filled. 
Do not ask people where they would like to sit; di- 



THE METHOD OF WORK 99 

rect them where you want them to go, and expect 
them to follow your directions. The usher is ex- 
pected to take his seat as soon as his section is filled, 
and remain in his section throughout the entire ser- 
vice, unless the section where he is located is vacated 
for the after-meeting, or he is assigned to other du- 
ties by one of the chief ushers. In case of large 
crowds so that people have to stand in the aisles, 
look over your section carefully, and see that as 
many people are in each seat as can be accommo- 
dated in it. When Mr. Bilhorn is singing, also 
after the text has been announced and the sermon 
commenced, do not seat any one, except when there 
may be seats vacant at the rear of the building. 

Ventilation 

Every usher should be familiar with the working 
of windows and doors in his section, and if they 
will not readily and noiselessly open and close re- 
port the fact, so that they may be fixed. It is ex- 
ceedingly important that we have good air. Open or 
close windows or ventilators only upon instruction 
from the platform, or from the chief usher. 

Assistants 

The very best and most consecrated people you 
have should be selected for assistants. They should 
be of the caliber of Sunday-school teachers. They 
will be in a position where they can be marvellously 



lOO REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

used in the service of God, and the importance of 
their duties cannot be overestimated. 

Select assistants from all churches, three to every 
lOO people for the seating capacity of the building. 
The qualifications for an assistant are : 

1. The ability to attend every evening service 
(Saturday excepted) and to be present before the 
opening of the doors. 

2. Spiritual character and earnestness and wil- 
lingness to do anything for Christ. 

Either men or women, young or old, will answer, 
provided they have the above qualifications. Pro- 
vide badges for them and an usher's manual for each 
one and see that they are all present at the close of 
the first meeting at the ushers' conference. 

The most important duties of the assistants and 
ushers are very similar, the assistants being assigned 
to permanent locations in the seats and having but 
little to do with the seating and moving of the audi- 
ence, while upon the ushers devolves the duty of 
seating and moving of the audience, as well as other 
duties which are mentioned above. 

It is suggested that before the opening of the 
doors a short prayer service be held for God's bless- 
ing on the labors of the evening. 

Ushers and assistants will be expected at every 
evening service and on Sunday morning and after- 
noon and at all other times when they can be present, 
except where there is a difference in sex. Lady as- 
sistants will not be expected at services for men 
only, or in sections of the house reserved for men. 
Ushers and assistants will be expected at meetings 



THE METHOD OF WORK. 



lOI 



for people of all ages ; no limit of age will shut them 
out. 

The choir will be expected at all services, unless 
otherwise especially advised. 

There should be one assistant for every thirty to 
forty-two people (seating capacity of the building). 
The diagram below represents a section of three 
rows, thirty-nine seats, '' A " being the assistant, 
who is expected to reach with cards, encouragement, 
etc. — that is, to shepherd — the twenty people in- 
closed within the lines, the others being reached by 
the ushers. 



GOO 

c/3 GOO 



G G G 



G G G G G G O 
G G gA G G G 
G G G G G G G 



G G G 

> 
G G G w 

r 
w 

G G G 



They will be admitted by ticket, the loss of which 
must be immediately reported. They should pro- 
vide themselves with cards, pencils, and badges di- 
rectly on entering the building each night, and be in 
their places before the general doors are opened. 

The position of each usher should be in the rear 
of the section assigned him, where he should reserve 
a seat in the end of the row. 

Cards about six by eight inches should be pro- 
vided, reading: 



This seat 
Reserved for 
Usher. 



This seat 
Reserved for 
Assistant. 



I02 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

Distribution of Inquirers Cards 

These cards are to be distributed by the ushers 
and assistants. There are three blank lines on each 
card. One for the name, one for the residence and 
one for the name of the church or pastor preferred. 
These cards will be put up in packages of thirty, 
with six half-length sharpened lead pencils strapped 
to them with a rubber band. Each usher and assist- 
ant must be sure to be supplied with one of these 
packages of cards each evening. Sometimes you 
may use them two or three times in one even- 
ing, generally twice; always when directed to 
do so from the platform. The purpose of the 
cards is so that any who need encourage- 
ment and help may be easily reached by the 
pastors. When asked to distribute the cards, take 
out a card from the package and lay a pencil upon it, 
and offer a card to each individual whom you can 
reach. The ushers to those near the ends of the 
seats and the assistants to those immediately around 
them, both at the sides and in front and rear. Watch 
the people in your section carefully, observing those 
who rise for prayer, helping others to rise if you 
think they are impressed or hesitating, and make it 
easy for them to indicate their interest, both in rising 
and in signing the cards. When the ushers and as- 
sistants collect the cards, let them look at them im- 
mediately to see that the address and the pastor and 
the church are indicated. If any line is blank try to 
get the information without being obtrusive, fill out 



THE METHOD OF WORK. lO^ 

the card with the information that is lacking. Do 
not try to influence any one as to what church he 
shall attend. When an announcement is made con- 
cerning the distribution of the cards, the ushers 
should pass all through their sections, first distrib- 
uting them and afterwards collecting them. The as- 
sistants should stand up in their places — do not try 
to do it sitting down. Be on the alert to help carry 
out every suggestion that may be made from the 
platform, and see how kind and helpful you can be 
in every way to those around you. 

The After-Meetings 

This is the time when the most important part of 
your work has to be done. As soon as the second 
meeting is announced, the ushers will go to the 
front of their sections. Urge people who seem im- 
pressed or, interested to remain; especially see that 
people who have risen for prayers, or who have 
signed cards, remain. If ninety-five out of a hun- 
dred start to go, it is natural for the five others to 
follow, even if they have been spiritually interested. 
It is your business to see that they do not go out. As 
soon as possible bring people from the rear toward 
the front, and from the sides to the center, and sit 
with them in the after-meeting. See if there is not 
someone whom you can help. It will not do to have 
very timid people for ushers or assistants, unless 
they are willing to overcome their timidity for 
Christ's sake, and do this work thoroughly. If a call 
is made for any sort of testimony or prayer, please 



I04 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

respond immediately, provided you have a loud or 
clear voice so that you can be heard. Please make 
the prayer or testimony just what is suggested, and 
nothing else, and always exceedingly brief. If pos- 
sible, shake hands with people whom you do not 
know, as well as with those whom you do, among 
the inquirers, and speak words of good cheer and 
encouragement. Pray with them when you have the 
opportunity. Sometimes a kind word at the close of 
the last meeting may win a soul for Christ. 

How to Aid Inquirers 

Always use God's word and if your experience is 
quoted at all only let it be used to emphasize the 
Scripture. In the general meetings you will find it 
easy to put the question very kindly and courteously 
to the people, "Are you a Christian?" If the an- 
swer is '' No,'' help them in every way you can. You 
will find about you four classes of inquirers. 

1. Christians who lack assurance. 

The First Epistle of John was written to help this 
class. Emphasize i John v: 13. 

2. Backsliders. 

Read the prophesy of Jeremiah for yourself and 
give them its spirit. Use Jeremiah iii: 12, 13. Read 
Hosea, 14th chapter, especially the opening verses. 

3. Those slightly convicted. 

Read Romans iii : 10-23. It is useless to give the 
consolations of the gospel until there is a conscious- 
ness of sin. 

4. The deeply convicted. 



THE METHOD OF WORK. IO5 

Read Isaiah xli: 25 and 44: 22, John i: 11, 12. 
Tell them they may be sure of their salvation. Read 
John iii : 16, John v : 24, John vi : 47, Romans vi : 23. 

The following excuses may be presented; if so, 
answer them with God's won! : 

1. I can't understand. 

" There is none that understandeth, there is none 
that seeketh after God." Romans iii: 11. 

*' But the natural man receiveth not the things of 
the spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, 
neither can he know them because they are spirit- 
ually discerned.'' i Cor. ii : 14. 

2. Afraid of falling. 

*' Being confident of this very thing, that he 
which hath begun a good work in you will perform 
it until the day of Jesus Christ." Phil, i : 6. 

*' Kept by the power of God through faith unto 
salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time." i 
Peter i : 5. 

3. Afraid of temptation. 

*' There hath no temptation taken you, but such 
as is common to man ; but God is faithful, who will 
not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able ; 
but will, with the temptation, also make a way to 
escape, that ye may be able to bear it." i Cor. x: 13. 

'' For, in that he himself hath suffered, being 
tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted." 
Heb. ii: 18. 

4. Inconsistent Christians prevent. 

''But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why 
dost thou set at naught thy brother? For we shall 
all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. So, 



I06 REVIVALS AlSfi) MISSIONS 

then, every one of us shall give an account of him- 
self to God/' Romans xiv: 10-12. 

*' Therefore, thou art inexcusable, O man, who- 
ever thou art that judgest, for wherein thou judgest 
another thou condemnest thyself/' Romans ii: i. 

5. When to believe. 

" Choose you this day whom you will serve/' Josh, 
xxiv: 15. 

'' Come, for all things are now ready." Luke xiv : 

17. 

'' Behold now is the accepted time, behold now is 

the day of salvation." 11 Cor. vi: 2. 



CHAPTER IX 

PREACHING IN REVIVALS 

It has always pleased God to magnify the preach- 
ing of His Word, and such names as those of Wes- 
ley, Whitefield, Edwards and Finney shall always be 
conspicuous because they have been such fearless 
preachers of His truth and have so clearly given His 
thoughts to those who were hungering after them. 

He only is a faithful preacher in the time of re- 
vival who magnifies Jesus Christ. Indeed, there is 
no promise of the Holy Ghost to the one who pre- 
sents any other theme. The Apostles themselves 
were the ideal preachers. They went everywhere 
speaking only of Jesus and the Resurrection. 

* " The American preachers, in the early revivals, 
found the cardinal facts of regeneration by the Holy 
Ghost, and the necessity of a converted church- 
membership, fallen into comparative neglect or con- 
tempt; and their power was in giving them promi- 
nence. This was the mighty upheaving force in 
those great revivals. Edwards, with the clearness of 
a sunbeam, insisted much on justification by faith 
alone. And he says : ' The beginning of the late 
work of God in this place was so circumstanced that 



* Handbook of revivals. 

107 



io8 



REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 



I could not but look upon it as a remarkable testi- 
mony of God's approbation of the doctrine of justifi- 
cation by faith alone here asserted and vindicated. 
At that time, while I was greatly reproached for 
defending this doctrine in the pulpit, and just upon 
my suffering a very open abuse for it, God's work 
wonderfully broke forth amongst us, and souls be- 
gan to flock to Christ as the Savior in whose right- 
eousness alone they hoped to be justified.' 

'' Seizing upon a resultant fact of this doctrine of 
justification by faith, Mr. Edwards wrote that terri- 
ble sermon, ' Sinners in the hands of an angry God.' 
He went down to Enfield and preached it there July 
8th, 1741. While the people of the neighboring 
towns, says Trumbull, were in great distress about 
their souls, the inhabitants of Enfield were very se- 
cure, loose and vain. A lecture had been appointed 
there, and the neighboring people were so affected 
at the thoughtlessness of the inhabitants, and had so 
much fear that God would, in His righteous judg- 
ment, pass them by, that many of them were pros- 
trate before Him a considerable part of the previous 
evening, supplicating the mercy of heaven in their 
behalf. And when the time appointed for the lecture 
came, a number of the surrounding ministers were 
present, as well as some from a distance — a proof 
of the prayerful interest felt on behalf of the town. 
Mr. Edwards chose for his text the words, ' Their 
feet shall slide in due time.' Deut. xxxii: 35. When 
they went into the meeting-house, the appearance of 
the assembly was thoughtless and vain ; the people 
scarcely conducted themselves with common de- 



PREACHING IN REVIVALS IO9 

cency. But as the sermon proceeded, the audience 
became so overwhelmed with distress and weeping 
that the preacher was obHged to speak to the people 
and desire silence, that he might be heard. The ex- 
citement soon became intense; and it is said that a 
minister who sat in the pulpit with Mr. Edwards, in 
the agitation of his feelings, caught the preacher by 
the skirt of his dress, and said, ' Mr. Edwards ! Mr." 
Edwards ! is not God a God of mercy ? ' Many of 
the hearers were seen unconsciously clinging by 
their hands to the posts, and the sides of the pews, 
as though they already felt themselves sliding into 
the pit. This fact has often been mentioned as a 
proof of the strong and scriptural character of Ed- 
wards' peculiar eloquence — the eloquence of truth 
attended by the influence from heaven — for his ser- 
mons were read without gestures. 

" Davies, of Virginia, saw more conversions un- 
der his ministry than did Edwards. He preached the 
same truths, however, and with the same intense 
earnestness and unflinching fidelity. No one can 
read his published sermons without having his spirit 
stirred as with the sound of a trumpet. And under 
such breathing thoughts and burning words, multi- 
tudes bowed as before the majesty of God. 

*' It has been remarked upon as an interesting fact 
that three such men as Jonathan Edwards, George 
Whitefield and Samuel Davies should have been 
contemporary. They differed widely in their char- 
acteristics ; but they were all ' sons of thunder.' Da- 
vies was less logical than Edwards, and had less ex- 
temporaneous fluency than Whitefield; but he ex- 



no Revivals and missions 

ceeded them both in true eloquence. Edwards acted 
upon men through their understanding; Whitefield 
through their imagination and passions; Davies 
through all the soul's avenues. He had such com- 
mand of every faculty and affection that he swept 
the whole field of intellect and feeling. By fact, by 
argument, by description, by appeal, by entreaty, by 
expostulation, he addressed men's entire spiritual 
nature, and roused it from its lowest depths. Ed- 
wards caused men to think deeply, and Whitefield 
made them feel strongly. But Davies accomplished 
both ; — awakening at once thought and emotion. 

'' The successful preachers in later revivals, 
pressed the conscience of men with the same truths 
and terrible earnestness as did their predecessors. 
Dr. Lyman Beecher, speaking of his preaching be- 
fore a work of grace, says: ' My object was to cut 
and thrust, hip and thigh, and not to ease off. I had 
been working a good part of a year with my heart 
burning, and my people feeling nothing. Now I 
took hold without mittens.' 

'' Says one, speaking from experience concerning 
the preaching of that day, ' Oh, how we smarted un- 
der it. I remember it well in my own case. We 
complained of some of Paul's hard sayings, and 
wondered why our ministers dwelt so much upon 
them. We wanted to get to heaven in some easier 
way. But instead of abating one jot or tittle to re- 
lieve us, they pressed harder and harder, driving us 
from one refuge to another, till there was no hiding- 
place left. The law, which we had broken times 
without number, we were made to feel was just; its 



PREACHING IN REVIVALS III 

fiery penalty hung over our heads, and we must sub- 
mit or die/ 

'' Dr. Griffin's statement on this point is worthy 
of careful study — the more so as he w^as a prince in 
pulpit oratory, and greatly blessed in revivals. He 
says : ' Sinners have been constantly urged to im- 
mediate repentance, and every excuse has been taken 
away. At the same time we have not denied or con- 
cealed their dependence for the sake of convincing 
them of their obligations. On the contrary, we have 
esteemed it vital to urge their dependence in order 
to drive them from all reliance on their own 
strength, and to make them die to every hope from 
themselves. All that you can possibly gain by flat- 
tering their independence is to extort a confession of 
their obligations ; for as to matter of fact, they will 
not submit until they are made willing in the day of 
God's power. And if you can fasten upon them 
their obligations without that falsehood which robs 
God of His glory, pray let it be done. This we have 
found it possible to do. We have shown them that 
their obligations rest on their faculties, and are as 
reasonable and as complete as though the thing re- 
quired was merely to walk across the floor; that 
their faculties constitute a natural ability; that is, a 
full power to love and serve God, if their hearts 
zvere well disposed, leaving nothing in the way but 
a bad heart for which they are wholly to blame if 
there is any blame in the universe ; that sin can rest 
nowhere but in the heart, and that if you drive it 
beyond the heart you drive it out of existence ; that 
they alone create the necessity for God to conqaer 



112 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

them, and to decide whether he will conquer them 
or not ; that it is an everlasting blot on creation that 
God has to speak a second time to induce creatures 
to love Him, much more that He has to constrain 
them by His conquering power; and yet after all 
His provisions and invitations — after He has sent 
His Son and His Spirit to save them — after He has 
opened the door wide and stands with open arms to 
receive them — they will still break their way to per- 
dition if His almighty power do not prevent; that 
by their own fatal obstinacy they are cast entirely 
upon His will ; that they are wholly in His hands — 
that if He frown they die, if He smile they live for- 
ever. This is the grandest of all means to press 
them out of themselves, to cast them dead and help- 
less upon God, to make them die that they may be 
made alive/ 

" At a later day came Nettleton, so highly hon- 
ored of God in soul-saving. In 1825 Rev. Mr. Cobb 
(of Taunton, Mass.), who heard him preach sixty 
times, gave a description of the man and his preach- 
ing to this effect : ' His sermons were clear, sound, 
able, full of thought, direct and simple, with unity 
of design. He seemed to be destined to be under- 
stood. As the revival progressed, he preached more 
and more closely and doctrinally. The great truths 
of the Gospel were the weapons of his warfare, and 
were wielded with a spirit and an energy which the 
people were unable to gainsay or resist. He was re- 
markably clear and forcible in his illustrations of the 
sinner's total depravity, and his utter inability to 
procure salvation by unregenerate works, or any 



PREACHING IN REVIVALS 113 

desperate efforts. He showed the sinner that his un- 
regenerate prayers for a new heart, his impenitent 
seeking, striving and knocking would be of no avail ; 
and that absolute, unconditional submission to a 
sovereign God was the first thing to be done/ 

" In another description w^e are told that he was 
solemn, affectionate and remarkably plain. His style 
was simple, perspicuous and energetic. His illustra- 
tions were familiar and striking; such as rendered 
his discourses intelligible to persons of the weakest 
capacity, and at the same time interesting to persons 
of the most cultivated intellect. He always com- 
manded the attention of the audience. There was 
an earnestness in his manner which carried convic- 
tion to the minds of his hearers that he believed 
what he spoke, and that he believed it to be truth of 
everlasting moment, and there was also a directness 
in his preaching, which made the hearers feel that 
they were the persons addressed. 

" While on a visit to Scotland, Dr. Nettleton 
preached in Edinburgh; and during the sermon, 
while pressing home the high claims of the Al- 
mighty a woman w^ho sat in a remote part of the 
house was so affected that, leaving her seat, and 
walking up in front of the pulpit, she spoke aloud, 
' Dear sir, don't forget that '' God so loved the 
world that He gave His only begotten Son, that 
whosoever believeth on Him might not perish, but 
have everlasting life." ' " 

Mr. D. L. Moody began his preaching with his 
proclamation of the law, but when he had a concep- 
tion given to him of the marvelous power of the 



I 14 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

love of God he began to tell that story ; and while He 
has been faithful to all parts of the Book, he has es- 
pecially been the advocate of God's love in the gift 
of His Son. 

It is said that the lamented Harry Morehouse, 
who preached seven times from the text '' For God 
so loved the world that He gave His only begotten 
Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not 
perish, but have everlasting life," in the church of 
which Mr. Moody was the leader, was the instru- 
ment, under God, of opening Mr. Moody's eyes to 
this most wonderful of all truths ; and from that day 
to this he has sounded it forth in no uncertain way. 

There may be certain rules given for the preach- 
ing. I do not know anything better for the prelimi- 
nary preaching than that which is suggested by the 
late William W. Newell,, D. D., in his Revivals: 
how and zvhenf 

'' In every practical work there is a first step to be 
taken. It is so in reference to revivals. How often 
have I seen ministers or laymen attempting revival 
work! They complained bitterly of the coldness of 
the church. They preached or talked or prayed well. 
They had not seen the darkness of their own hearts. 
Their Qw^n spirits were unbroken. They had not 
come into sweet and trusting converse with Jesus. 
And so they failed. All this was a grave mistake. 
They omitted to take the first step. 

" The farmer cannot secure a harvest by merely 
sowing the seed. He must first break up the ground. 
So God says, ' Break up your fallow ground ! ' 
Why? ' For it is time to seek the Lord till He come 



PREACHING IN REVIVALS Il5 

and rain righteousness upon you/ (Hosea x: 12.) 
It IS said of the Macedonians, ' They first gave their 
own selves to the Lord/ The best perfected ma- 
chinery for the salvation of souls is a grand thing. 
But what is it without the Spirit of God? EHjah's 
altar was a fatal failure without the fire from 
heaven. In spite of the careless, the worldly, the 
debased, the profligate, and the scoffer, you may be 
revived. You may even ' resist the devil and he will 
flee from you.' (James iv: 7.) ' Nothing but weak- 
ness or defection inside the citadel \w\\\ endanger it.' 
Jesus and the Holy Ghost are waiting to give you 
force and persistence. Gamaliel said truly to the 
enemies of the Apostles : ' If this be of God ye can- 
not overthrow it.' Can you be blocking the way? 

'* Disraeli has said, ' Every man should under- 
stand himself.' This is essential in business and in- 
dispensable in God's work. While you really desire 
the salvation of souls, God may be calling upon you 
to take up the stumbling-block. That is the first 
step to be taken. You must search out the depths 
of your own life and character in the light of God 
and man. You may have been dull and selfish in 
your Christian work, professional and unbelieving 
in your prayers. Your example may have brought 
religion into disrepute. You may have cherished 
hard feelings. Is your leading desire for a revival 
legitimate? You may desire a revival on account 
of your own reputation and the outward prosperity 
of the church. A neighbor of mine once held a pro- 
tracted meeting with the avowed design of estab- 
lishing his own waning popularity. It resulted in his 



Il6 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

failure and dismission. You may strongly desire the 
salvation of souls, with small appreciation of their 
guilt and with slight regard for the honor of Jesus. 
'' Some years ago I was deeply affected by these 
views and examples. I had seen so many revivals 
averted by the condition of pastors that I devoted 
the entire week of prayer to a preparation of my 
own heart and life. I believed that I was a 
Christian, but I wanted to see myself as God saw 
me. I wanted to be thoroughly humbled and com- 
pletely emptied of self. I wanted to press upon the 
church and the world the overwhelming motives of 
God's eternal word with all the magnetism of a 
fervid, confident, loving, divine spirit. In pleading 
with Jehovah for others I would obey His command, 
^ Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.' (Isa. 
liii: 2.) On Monday I considered the infinitely holy 
character of God. B;^ this stupendous theme my 
soul was greatly awed. On Tuesday I considered 
my own particular sins, in the presence of that Je- 
hovah with whom even the solemn meeting may be 
iniquity. (Isa. i: 13.) I asked myself, * What of 
your pride, ambition, self-seeking? What have you 
lacked in love, trust, spirituality^ improvement of 
time, and toil for the lost ? ' On Wednesday I con- 
sidered God's kindness to me, my family and my 
church. I was amazed at his munificence; I was 
abased at my own unthankfulness. But He had 
snatched away my loved ones. Yet He enabled me 
to say, ' O God, Thy will be done — my Jesus, as 
Thou wilt.' On Thursday my questions were: 
' Why do you want a revival of religion ? Is it 



PREACHING IN REVIVALS I I? 

chiefly to build up one man or one church, to make 
your people more genial and loving ? Or are you 
seeking first of all to honor Jesus in the salvation of 
the perishing? Have you been asking for things 
which you do not expect to receive and which you 
make slight efforts to secure ? ' 

'' ' By this time I was ready to cry with the 
Apostle : ' Oh ; wretched man that I am ! who shall 
deliver me from the body of this death?' (Rom. 
vii: 24.) On Friday I was prepared as never before 
to look to Jesus. Mere earthly advantages seemed 
to me like the idle wind. I confessed and loathed my 
sin. ' I looked upon Him whom I had pierced, and 
I mourned for Him.' (Zech. xii: 10.) I laid myself 
upon His altar, to do and to suffer His will. With 
great confidence I sought His Spirit. My view was 
definite. My feeling was deep. My soul was filled 
with confidence and peace. Each evening during the 
week I had poured forth to my church the experi- 
ence of the day. When told by one of them to look 
for Christ, the answer was, ' God's Spirit is teach- 
ing me what I need. It is making for me a straight 
path to my Savior.' At the close of this Friday 
evening numbers took my hand and with glowing 
faces, exclaimed : ' Oh, what a meeting we have 
had ! We knew you would come out.' 

*' The next morning, as I walked down Broad- 
way, I was charmed with the brightness and beauty 
of the day. My heart was filled with song and glad- 
ness. In the midst of the great throng I almost ex- 
claimed aloud : ' Jesus is mine. Bless the Lord, O 
my soul. O Lord, Thou art my God, I will exalt 



Il8 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

Thee. I will praise Thy name, for Thou hast done 
wonderful things/ (Isa. xxv: ii.) In this move- 
ment I had the sympathy and fellowship of the 
church. The great revival had commenced. The 
nightly meetings were continued. The ungodly were 
attracted. We deplored their condition. We toiled 
and prayed for their rescue. God had restored to us 
the joys of His salvation; He upheld us with His 
free Spirit; then we taught transgressors His ways 
and sinners were converted unto Him. 

" I do not say that a process of this length and 
character is always judicious or necessary. But we 
are so prone to formality, self-seeking and self-de- 
ception, even in our holy things, that it is always 
profitable to heed the exhortation of the weeping 
Prophet, ' Let us search and try our ways, and 
turn again to the Lord.' (Lam. iii: 40.) Always re- 
membering that ' the preparations of the heart in 
man and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.' 
(Prov. xvi: i.) By this process we found, as one 
has said : * To repent is to be forgiven, to give up is 
to receive, to be weak is to be strong, to be nothing 
is to be everything.' In almost every church I be- 
lieve that such a week of prayer and heart-search- 
ing would lead to the conversion of sinners. What 
an experience David had before he could exclaim, 
* Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways and sin- 
ners shall be converted unto Thee!'" (Ps. li: 12.) 

After the revival has begun it has been found 
quite advisable to follow the suggestions hereinafter 
named : 

I. Have absolute confidence in God that what 



PREACHING IN REVIVALS I 19 

He has said in His Word He means, and that what 
He has promised He will perform. Remember that 
there is no other cure for sin than that which is pre- 
;sented in Christ. 

2. Expect results from God. This confidence in 
tone's Savior and his methods is contagious, and in a 
little time he will find that he is not alone in his be- 
lief, but that there are other hearts dying like his 
(Own. When Nehemiah went first to view the ruins 
^of Jerusalem, he did not take the multitudes with 
him ; but the Scriptures tell us that he went with a 
few men, and when he looked upon the desolation he 
said to the few, '' Come, let us rebuild ; '' and the 
few quickly responded. Then they hurried back to 
the multitudes, and shouted, " Come, let us rebuild." 
And in a little time every man was building against 
his own house, sword in one hand, trowel in the 
other, and the wall was joined together unto the half 
thereof ; for the people had a mind to work. 

3. Do not simply preach about Christ and tell 
how to come to Him ; but give your hearers an op- 
portunity to make a profession of faith. It is true 
that the Holy Spirit is waiting to do his work ; but 
it is also true that past history shows that He elects 
to work through God's people. We are His chosen 
instruments. 

4. Let the plan of salvation be perfectly stated in 
every sermon preached, so that if one should hear 
you but once he would understand the way of life. 

My final suggestion is, press the truth home for 
immediate decision. God's promises are all for to- 
day; none for to-morrow. We have no assurance 



120 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

that our listening people may ever have another 
chance. 

Before the Chicago fire, Moody and Sankey were 
taking their people through the life of Christ in 
their preaching and singing. They had considered 
Him in every incident of his life. The audiences 
were great; the interest was profound. When the 
story was completed, Mr. Moody said, '' Next Sun- 
day we will tell you what you must do to be saved.'' 
The audience was dismissed, and never gathered to- 
gether again in the world; for just following this 
service the great Chicago fire occurred, and many 
went out from the sound of Mr. Moody's voice into 
the unending eternity. 

Every minister ought to preach with the convic- 
tion that he was having his last opportunity, and 
that those who heard him would never have another 
chance to be saved. 



CHAPTER X 

A REVIVAL IN THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL 

^^ Decision Day in the Sunday-School'^ 

If a farmer were to occupy all his time in sowing 
the seed and make no provision for the gathering of 
a harvest which he would have a right to expect, we 
should think him bereft of all reason. There are cer- 
tain laws governing the sowing of seed, the watch- 
ing for growth and development and the reaping of 
the harvest. It is likewise true that there are certain 
well defined laws concerning the use of God's Word 
in teaching and preaching. It is the good seed in- 
deed, and the heart of a child has always been found 
to be particularly good ground upon which it may 
fall. 

There is a clear promise in the Bible that God's 
" Word shall not return unto Him void, but shall 
accomplish that which He pleases and prosper in 
the thing whereunto He hath sent it." If therefore, 
there are few conversions and the harvest in the 
Sunday-school is not gathered, the responsibility for 
failure cannot be with the Lord of the harvest, but 
must be with those of us who are supposed to be 
the laborers in His harvest field. I can find no rea- 

121 



122 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

son -in God's Word why there should not be a Con- 
stant ingathering of the children and young people 
into the kingdom of Heaven, why there may not be 
frequent harvest seasons and oft-repeated decision 
days. In order that Sunday-school workers may be 
led to expect and work for such seasons of blessing, 
this message is sent forth. 

It is necessary first of all that there should be cer- 
tain propositions stated and accepted before we may 
be expected to gather the results of our work. 

First — It must be accepted as true that when a 
'child has reached the age of accountability, where he 
may intelligently accept or reject Christ as a Savior, 
he needs Christ in order that he may be saved. 
''' There is none other name given under Heaven or 
among men whereby we must be saved." This text 
applies to a child having reached the age of ac- 
countability as well as to those older in years. If we 
do not accept this statement we shall not be much 
concerned about their souls. 

Second — We do not know just when our children 
may reach the point of responsibility. It is said that 
in the Niagara River there is one point called " Past 
Redemption Point," and that if one reaches and 
passes this place, he is hurried on to the Rapids and 
the chances are all against his life being saved. We 
do not know at what age our children may pass this 
point in their lives. 

Third — This being true, it is wise for us to pre- 
sent Christ to them as a Savior very early in their 
lives. It is said that the cannon ball passing through 
a four-foot bore of the cannon receives its impulse 



A REVIVAL IN THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL 1 23 

for the whole course it is to travel. And the state- 
ment has been made that the Catholic authorities 
have said : '' If you will give us your children for 
the first nine years of their lives, you can never win 
them away from us." It is therefore doubtless true 
that many a child receives impressions before he is 
ten years of age that determine the whole course of 
his after life. What an awful responsibility not to 
present Christ to him as Savior and keeper. 

Fourth — The history of the church proves that 
many of those who have been the real pillars in 
the house of God came to an acceptance of 
Christ before the age of twelve years. So, whatever 
may be our individual opinion concerning the con- 
version of children, God has set His approval on the 
work and has said : '' Suffer the little children to 
come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of such is 
the Kingdom of Heaven." 

In an audience of 5,000 people in a Western city 
I asked all who had accepted Christ between the 
ages of ten and twenty to rise and it seemed as if the 
entire audience was standing. When those who had 
come between the ages of twenty and thirty were 
asked to stand the number was greatly di- 
minished, not more than four hundred being 
on their feet. When the ages were changed 
to between forty and fifty, there were not 
more than a hundred standing, and when it was sug- 
gested that all who had accepted Christ between the 
ages of fifty and sixty should stand there were only 
four in five thousand who stood to make such con- 
fession. I am aware that this may not have been an 



124 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

exact test for all may not have perfectly understood 
the call, but it can be proven by the statistics of the 
church that the majority of people come to Christ 
before the age of twenty, and if they do not come at 
this time the chances begin to run mightily against 
them. 

Fifth — To put any hindrance in the way of their 
coming, or to be indifferent to their acceptance of 
Christ, is a responsibility too grave to be borne by 
any of us. 

The little son of a distinguished minister came to 
him one day to say that he wanted to become a mem- 
ber of the church. His father thought he knew the 
boy and said to him : '' My son, you may not under- 
stand just what it means to join the church." The 
child, however, assured him that he did. Finally, 
the father persuaded him to accept this proposition. 
He said: ''We are just now going away for the 
summer vacation. When we come back, if you still 
wish it, we will then take you into the church." This 
was not according to the boy's desire, but he yielded. 
The summer passed, but said this minister: *' When 
I came back in the fall I came back without my boy. 
He died in the summer days." Doubtless the child 
was accepted of Christ because of his desire, but I 
am firmly convinced that he ought to have been in 
the church, and the father believes it, too, to-day. 

There are those who will not come to Christ if 
they are not urged to do so in childhood. In one of 
the cities of New York a minister arose in one of the 
meetings to say: " Let me tell you of a playmate of 
mine, a little girl. There was a. special service in the 



A REVIVAL IN THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL 125 

school of which we were both members; an appeal 
was made which resulted in my own conversion. 
This girl was even more deeply moved than I, but, 
there being no one to lead her to a decision, she left 
the school. I met her years after in Paris, when I 
asked her if she ever became a Christian. With a 
sneer on her face, that had once been wet with tears, 
she said : ' Why, I never think of it, and have not 
for years. I have clearly made up my mind that I 
shall never be a Christian.' " What God in His 
mercy may do for her before her life's journey ends 
I cannot say, but there was a time when, as a child, 
one touch of helpfulness would have led her to a 
decision. 

Sixth — When you lead a child to Christ, as a rule 
the work does not stop with that one little life. Oth- 
ers have been won indirectly by that one. Characters 
have been transformed and entire homes have been 
changed by the conversion of children. 

I was preaching in an Ohio city when I had one 
night pointed out to me in the audience one of the 
leading business men of the State. His wife sat 
with him, and between them their one little child. 
I have never had more indifferent or inattentive au- 
ditors than the gentleman and his wife ; they paid no 
attention to either speaking or singing, but the little 
child scarcely took her eyes from me. The meeting 
closed and they went home ; the child's heart had 
been touched. When she climbed up into her fa- 
ther's arms to say good-night she said to him: 
" Papa, I wish you would be a Christian so that I 
could be one too." What the sermon and the song 



126 



REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 



had failed to do, the child accomplished. And be- 
fore they slept that night both the father and the 
mother had yielded themselves to Christ. 

It is not impossible that a " Decision Day " in the 
Sunday-school might mean entire households saved. 
If we have been faithful in our work as teachers and 
superintendents there are certain things we have a 
right to expect from God. 

First. That He will honor His own word. 

If you have presented the plan of salvation to 
your scholars and stand ready to be used of God to 
help the scholar to a confession of Christ, you have 
a right to expect that He will set His seal upon your 
work. 

Second. If you have presented Christ to your 
scholars, you have a perfect right to believe that the 
Spirit of God will witness to Him and make Him a 
power in the life of your scholar, for this is His 
work. 

Third. You have a perfect right also, these con- 
ditions being fulfilled, to look for and expect the 
conversion of the scholars of your class. 

The Name 

The day in the interests of which this message is 
sent forth may well be called '^ The Decision Day in 
the Sunday-school.'' It would be perfectly natural 
to expect conversions constantly, and if our schools 
were as God would have them be, our children 
would come as naturally into the Kingdom of God 
as the sun rises in the morning and sets at night. 



A REVIVAL IN THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL 127 

But it is a wise thing, even if this be true, to appoint 
certain days when decisions may be wisely and 
strongly urged. These days may be more or less 
frequent, as the workers in the church may elect, but 
ought certainly to be observed each year, although 
in some schools they are held as often as once a 
quarter, and always with blessing. 

Let the following rules be adopted, or modified, so 
as to meet the needs of the various communities, and 
the writer can assure those following them that the 
efforts w^ill certainly be crowned with success : 

1. Plan and pray about the time you set apart 
and let it be far enough in the future to prevent any- 
thing coming in the way of its successful prosecu- 
tion or standing before it as a hindrance. 

2. When the day arrives let the pastor preach 
such a sermon as would lead parents to see their re- 
sponsibility and to make the teachers understand 
their opportunity for marvellous service. 

3. Appoint a prayer meeting for the teachers at 
least half an hour before the time of the session of 
the school. In this meeting let special prayer be of- 
fered; first, for the teachers, that they may be 
specially anointed for this special work ; second, for 
the unconverted scholars. It is a good plan to have 
the names before you for special mention. In one 
school in Pennsylvania the pastor himself had se- 
cured the names of seventy-five of the scholars who 
had not accepted Christ, and with all the teachers on 
their knees he read over these names one by one until 
he could read no more, because of the sobs of those 



128 



REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 



who filled the room, and he told me when the results 
were tabulated that he did not believe there was one 
of the seventy-five that had not taken a stand for 
Christ. 

4. Make the session of the school special in every 
way. 

(i) Sing only such hymns as would produce a 
tender impression upon both scholar and teacher. 
Much of the so-called Sunday-school music would 
be inappropriate for such a day. Such hymns as 
'' Just as I Am Without One Plea/' '' Nearer My 
God to Thee," " Jesus Lover of My Soul " and " Je- 
sus Paid it All " would be most helpful. 

(2) Mark the attendance and take the offering 
of the school^ so that nothing may be in the way at 
the close of the session when the special appeal is to 
be made by the pastor. 

(3) Call on different teachers to pray briefly as 
they sit with their scholars, so that at once it may be 
understood that the session of the school is special 
and that you are waiting much upon God about it. 

(4) It is always best to dispense entirely with 
the regular lesson, whatever it may be. I know the 
objections urged against this plan, especially when 
the lesson seems appropriate, but I know also that 
nothing makes a deeper impression on the scholars 
than to have the announcement made from the desk 
that " there will be no special study of the lesson to- 
day, for we have a matter of greater importance be- 
fore us." Such an announcement being made, you 



A REVIVAL IN THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL I 29 

will find that there will be a kind of a hush fall upon 
the school, and this is the beginning of the blessing. 
Put absolute confidence in God, then do as has been 
suggested by some one else, " having planned your 
work, work your plan." 

The Plan 

First — Let the superintendent say that the day is 
special. Let him tell the scholars with all tenderness, 
that he is concerned for them. Let him state briefly 
what they must do to be saved. If he has been much 
in prayer about it, God will use him and the scholars 
will be deeply impressed by the mere statement of 
the man who stands as their leader in the work of 
the Sunday-school. 

Second — Let him then give the teachers an op- 
portunity to make their plea. They know the 
scholars intimately enough to speak wisely with 
them. I remember one class in the Sunday-school 
where as I entered the room I saw the scholars' 
heads all bowed in prayer, and as I passed by I heard 
the teacher say, " Oh, God, save the scholars to- 
day." 

It is not a time for argument, but just an oppor- 
tunity for the plain, tender statement of the way of 
life out of a full heart. It is well to have an ac- 
knowledgment card, which the teacher may use to 
secure the names of those who take even a slight 
stand for Christ in order that it may be a matter of 
record. The following is a sample : 



130 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 



Acknowledgment Card 

I do acknowledge Jesus Christ is my Savior. 

It is my honest purpose to serve Him all my life. 

Scholar's Name 

Address c c 

Teacher's Name 

Date Class No 

It is natural that I should believe heartily in such 
a plan. I was a scholar in a Sunday-school in Rich- 
mond, Ind., when someone was making an appeal to 
the scholars to confess Christ by rising. The most of 
my class of boys were standing, and I was saying to 
myself, '' Why should I stand ? My mother and 
father are both Christians. I think I believe in 
Christ. For me to stand is not a necessity," when 
suddenly I felt a touch on my shoulder and my 
teacher, Mrs. C. C. Binckley, was saying, '' Hadn't 
you better stand ? " And somehow she got her hand 
just under my elbow and seemed to lift me up. I 
shall never forget my standing that day. Whether I 
had been accepted of God before that day or not I 
cannot say, but I do know that the "deepest impres- 
sion of my life was made at that minute, and under 
God, my Sunday school teacher was the channel 
through which the blessing came. 

Third — When the superintendent has made his 
statement, and the teachers their plea and record of 
those who desire to know Christ has been made by 
the signing of the Acknowledgment Card, then let 
the pastor take full charge, and as if there had been 



A REVIVAL IN THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL 13^ 

made no statement before, lay before the scholars 
the way of life, their need of Christ, and press home 
upon them the desirability of an immediate decision 
for Christ. Any method may be used to lead to a 
final surrender which may be commended by the de- 
nomination in which the church is found. I remem- 
ber a Methodist church in Brooklyn where at least 
one hundred scholars bowed at the altar, and also re- 
call a Presbyterian school where the scholars by 
standing one after another, signified their determi- 
nation to serve Christ. It is a serious mistake not to 
keep a record of all the names of those who thus 
take their stand in the service. 

Caring for the Results 

What shall be done with those who have made a 
decision ? This is a serious question, and can only be 
settled by the pastors, superintendents and teachers. 
If allowed to drift, the action in the Sunday-school 
may mean very little, but if carefully nurtured the 
greater proportion of those signing the Acknow- 
ledgment Cards may be ultimately found in the 
church. 

In some cases they may be received at once into 
the fellowship of the church, although it would seem 
better to form them into a special class and give 
them such instruction as they may need to become 
intelligent members of the church. I have known of 
special cases where for two years the classes were 
thus instructed until the whole number had been re- 
ceived into the church. 



132 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

This whole method of the Decision Day is like the 
Scotch woman's promises in the Bible. After very 
many- of them she had placed the two letters, '' T. 
P.," and when asked for the meaning of the letters 
she replied, '' They mean tried and proven." So it is 
with these suggestions. In many cities and towns 
throughout the country they have been put to the 
test and God has set His seal upon them. 

Only this in conclusion : Since it is so very diffi- 
cult to lead strong men and women to a decision 
after they have rejected Christ for many years, and 
since the natural time for one to come to Christ is in 
youth, as the church's statistics will prove, it be- 
hooves us to lay hold upon these gracious opportuni- 
ties given us of God to save the young, and if we 
should fail there will be perilous times before the 
church in the future. 

There are clear indications in these days of a 
coming revival which shall sweep over this land of 
ours and carry blessing wherever the Gospel is 
preached. Not the least of these indications is an 
increasing concern on the part of Sunday-school 
teachers for their scholars, and a marked willingness 
on the part of the young people to come to Christ. 



CHAPTER XI 

REVIVALS HELPED 

The victory is not wholly won when God has 
given us what may be counted as an earnest of an 
approaching blessing. The most critical time in the 
day of revival is when we are sure not only that God 
is ready to pour out His spirit in great power upon 
the people, but also that the people are ready to ful- 
fill the conditions, and there seems to be no hin- 
drance in the way of the blessing, for the following 
reasons : 

1. There is a disposition to be encouraged be- 
cause of past success and neglect to wait before God 
for the continuation of His blessing. This is peril- 
ous to the work and few things could more grieve 
the Spirit. If one is to keep in touch with God in the 
day of revival he must walk very softly before Him, 
and if he would have the work of the Lord go for- 
ward he must ever labor with his eyes upward and 
with his faith stayed upon God. 

2. God has seemed especially in these latter days 
to honor the methods of men, and machinery, as it 
has been called by some, and indeed some of the 
greatest revivals in the past ten years have come as 
the result of wise planning and the adoption of meth- 

133 



134 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

ods which have certainly not been displeasing to 
God. But there is not infrequently a tendency to 
depend upon such methods and machinery and thus 
neglect the Holy Ghost, and no planning of men and 
no methods or machinery of men can ever take the 
place of the Holy Ghost, and many a revival which 
promised a glorious victory in the beginning has 
come to naught because the spirit of God has been 
neglected and grieved. 

These hindrances lead me to say that among the 
many helps in a revival the following may be men- 
tioned : 

I. A profound belief in the Holy Ghost and the 
conviction that He is willing and waits to do His part 
in the conversion of sinners and the quickening of 
the church. We say in the creed, '' I believe in the 
Holy Ghost," and theoretically we do, but practically 
we are filled with the spirit of unbelief. One church 
filled with the Holy Ghost and believing in Him 
could shake an entire city with the power of God. 

A study of revivals in the past will furnish one 
with abundance of proof by means of which we may 
learn that one man filled with the Holy Ghost is a 
host in himself and may accomplish that which seems 
from the human standpoint impossible. It will also 
be found that it is not so much a question as to who 
the man is or what he has been. He is not honored 
because of social position or intellectual equipment; 
he is not a chosen leader because there is that about 
him which in the judgment of men might qualify 
him for his high position, but because God finds it 
safe to trust him with the power of the highest, and 



REVIVALS HELPED 135 

because he having fulfilled the conditions prescribed 
in God's word for the reception of this power there 
is no reason either in God's plan or the man's life 
why he may not be filled. Alas, it is true, however, 
that God is not always able to trust us with Himself. 
The history of the Church is made luminous by the 
lives of those who have simply believed God and 
whose faith in the Holy Ghost was truly sublime. 

2. There is no greater help to a revival than an 
unshaken belief in prayer. Of all the subjects men- 
tioned in the New Testament the one least under- 
stood and possibly the least comprehended is prayer. 
We have, as it were, just touched the outer edge of 
its circumference. When Jesus said " Whatsoever ye 
shall ask of the Father in My name that will I do 
that the Father may be glorified in the son," we have 
the blank check, as it were, drawn upon the bank 
of Heaven, signed by the Father Himself, but left 
for us to fill in with whatsoever we need for His 
glory. We may take our individual needs, our house- 
hold cares, our longings for the Church, our desires 
for the advancement of the Kingdom of God, the lost 
souls, for whom we have a burden that they may be 
saved and binding them all together the one word 
whatsoever covers them all. If we know how to pray 
as George Muller knew — if we could only somehow 
get the simple faith of Hudson Taylor, the great 
China Inland Missionary, we could then live in a 
perpetual state of revival. ''Ask and ye shall re- 
ceive'' this is the statement of God Himself. May I 
suggest the following as a plan which God has been 
pleased to honor in other days. It is not necessary 



136 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

that many should be banded together to pray even 
for a revival for the promise is to two or three gath- 
ered in the name of Christ. But begin with two and 
increase the number only by those who know how to 
pray. There need be no limit to the number, there 
must be no limit to your faith, there will be no meas- 
ure for your blessing, '' exceeding abundantly above 
all that you ask or think " is God's description of it. 
From the circle of prayer carry the work to the 
homes in the community, enlarge the measure of in- 
fluence by increasing the number of invitations both 
to saved and unsaved. Appoint special services for 
prayer in the Church, be definite in all your requests, 
pray for individuals by name. Have a day of prayer 
appointed, and in many cases a night of prayer would 
be a blessing. Ask God for a revival. Search your 
own hearts to see if there is any obstacle there, finally 
believe God's word and trust Him. There can be 
only one result, namely, a sweeping revival. But the 
prayer is not to cease because the revival has come. 
'' Thou shall see greater things than these " if the 
'' effectual fervent " prayer is offered without ceas- 
ing. 

3. I have never known of a wide-spread revival of 
religion that did not trace much of its source to the 
fact that God had given His people some conception 
of the lost condition of men and what the word 
LOST really means. Jesus taught it when He said 
let your right hand go and pluck out your eye if they 
stand in the way that leads to God, for it is better to 
be maimed and halt and blind and be saved rather 
than to have any power of body and mind and be 



REVIVALS HELPED 137 

cast into Hell. One has only to read the New Testa- 
ment to be stirred to the depths of his soul. '' He that 
believeth not is condemned already because he hath 
not believed in the name of the only begotten son of 
God." '' He that hath not the Son of God hath not 
life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.'' Thus 
saith the Scripture and more solemn words were 
never written. If the Bible teaches anything it cer- 
tainly declares that man is hopeless, helpless, eter- 
nally lost without Christ, and must believe in Him 
to be saved. An understanding of this, however im- 
perfect, would stir the whole Church and the result 
would be a genuine old-time revival, God speed the 
day. 

4. When the blessing is upon us I know of nothing 
that would more help it on than such personal effort 
as is described in the new Testament put forth to 
reach the unsaved. It is a great help to one to have 
a prayer list on which may be found the names of 
those for whom he is concerned and for whom he 
prays by name, to write a letter full of concern is a 
splendid thing to do, but few things can do more 
good than a personal visit, a warm hand-clasp, a 
word of encouragement spoken from a full heart. 
The printed circular is good, but it is a soulless thing 
and worth but little when compared with the visit of 
a man whose heart God has touched and whose soul 
longs for other souls to know the Lord. Twenty-five 
men in every church filled with this spirit could move 
the world. These are the important helps, but the 
following are not to be forgotten. Many a meeting 
has been injured if not killed by the impure air in the 



138 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

Church Audience-room. Insist upon it that the air 
be pure it is a good thing to open all the windows 
just before the sermon is preached; it has been well 
said that the Holy Ghost cannot well work in impure 
air. Many a sermon has not had its full effect be- 
cause the singing has been lifeless; the Bible says, 
'' Make a joyful noise unto the Lord/' a choir and 
consecrated leader will double the efficiency of a ser- 
vice many times and it is not to be forgotten that 
where preaching fails many times the sing- 
ing wins its way. The service both for song 
and sermon ought to be brief, ordinarily an 
hour would be long enough for both. The 
after meeting following it all is generally 
the most important part of the service. This 
is a time for brief testimony, short prayers, plain 
explanation of the plan of salvation and the most 
personal, pointed, persuasive invitation to the un- 
saved to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as a Savior. 
It is a time when the most careful work is to be done, 
and no one but the Christian skilled in the use of 
God's word whose life is right with God and whose 
testimony is therefore of value should be allowed to 
work in it. But above all remember that in every 
step of the way our dependence is upon God and 
upon Him alone. 



CHAPTER XII 

REVIVALS HINDERED 

A GREAT many people imagine, since it is true that 
a revival is altogether a work of God, if it be genuine, 
that nothing can hinder it if it be God's will to carry 
it forward. But this certainly could not be true ; be- 
cause, while it is a work of God primarily. He has 
always used means for the carrying out of his will ; 
and if for any reason the instrument is not effective 
the work certainly may be hindered. 

First of all, the real cause of hindrance is the gen- 
eral distrust of revivals. The Spirit of God is ex- 
ceedingly sensitive ; and it is not necessary that there 
should be violent opposition to such a work to hinder 
it, but only indifference and distrust. The curse 
pronounced upon Meroz was not for any violent op- 
position to God, but because the people came not up 
to the help of the Lord against the mighty. And 
wherever you find a pastor distrusting such a work 
you will find one who is, as a rule, a stranger to such 
heavenly experiences as comiC to one in the day of 
revival. Wherever you find a church any great pro- 
portion of whose members seriously question the ad- 
visability of such a plan of labor, you will find a 
church not frequently blessed with such outpour- 

139 



140 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

ings of the Holy Ghost as God has certainly prom- 
ised to give His children and in instances without 
number kept his word. 

The first real step to victory in the securing of a 
revival is a whole-souled belief in such a work. The 
contrary would certainly be true, that a lack of such 
belief is the first step to defeat. 

The pastor may hinder the revival, and he may do 
this without in the least intending it. The trouble is 
not with our living as pastors, for that, in the main, 
is right, but with our preaching. 

1. It is not always aimed at conversion. I do not 
m^an that one should always stand in his pulpit and, 
after the manner of an evangelist, cry out^ '' Come to 
Jesus ! '' for that sweet expression would lose its 
sweetness if too many times repeated ; but I do mean 
that every minister should so preach that the sur- 
prise would be, not that people were converted under 
the influence of the sermon, but that they were not, 
and every sermon preached, upon whatever theme, 
should have enough of the plan of salvation in it so 
that if one should hear the preacher just once he 
would know from that one message what he ought 
to do to be saved. 

2. We are not enough in earnest. T would not 
teach that if one were simply on fire with zeal, the 
victory is won; for the most earnest preacher the 
world has ever known, the Lord Jesus Christ Him- 
self, could do no mighty works because of the unbe- 
lief of the people; but I do mean that one should 
have the spirit of McCheyne, the great Scotchman 
upon whom the following criticism was passed : An 



REVIVALS HINDERED 14^ 

old Scotch woman heard him for the first time, and 
being asked as to what she thought of him, she hesi- 
tated a moment, and then said, '' The mon preaches 
as if he was a-dying to have you converted/' And I 
do beheve if every man that stood in the pulpit should 
be possessed of a spirit like this that the whole world 
would soon be throbbing with the power of God. 

The people may hinder a revival. It is unquestion- 
ably true that there is to-day in many places a dearth 
of conversions ; and whatever the explanation may 
be as to the cause of this, it must certainly be true 
that in many cases it is due to the fact that the 
Church is too closely in touch with the world, and 
not enough in fellowship with her risen Head. Some 
one has said that the reason why the world does not 
join the Church is found in the fact that the Church 
has joined the world. 

It is not necessary that we should be grossly in- 
consistent to lose our power both with God and with 
man. Paul wrote, '' Come out from among them, 
and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing." 
The emphatic word in the text is " touch." 

I remember, when a boy studying philosophy, I 
was told that you could not fill a man with electricity 
so long as he stood on the ground, for the electrical 
current would pass through him into the ground and 
be lost ; but if you w^ould allow him to take his posi- 
tion upon a stool with glass legs, glass being a non- 
conductor of electricity, as soon as he would touch 
the electrical current, instantly he would be filled 
with it to overflowing ; but if, when he were in this 
position, he should reach out and touch a tree, or 



142 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

bend over and touch the ground with one finger of 
his hand, the electrical power would immediately 
leave him. 

Alas, it is because we are in some slight way in 
touch with the world that we have been shorn of 
our power, and God's work has been hindered. 

I had preached for five days in a Western city with 
no apparent indication of victory, and I had made the 
request that I should be allowed to leave the city and 
turn my face towards another field which was white 
already with a harvest. One of the pastors asked me 
to tarry for a few days, for he felt that he knew the 
cause of the failure. He sought out in his office one 
of the prominent workers in the meetings, an old 
man who was a judge of one of the highest courts in 
the city, whose name was on the church books, but 
whose life was in many ways inconsistent, and he 
said to him, " Judge, I have heard these rumors con- 
cerning you. If they are untrue, I have come to sup- 
port you; but if they are true, I have also come to 
give you a brother's sympathy and help." The old 
judge bowed his head in his hands upon his desk, 
sobbing so that he could not speak for a moment, and 
then said, '' It is all true and more, and I am the most 
miserable man in the city.'' They bowed on their 
knees, and asked forgiveness of Him Who never 
turns away from any seeking soul. They came di- 
rectly to the afternoon meeting. Just as I was on the 
point of pronouncing the Benediction, the old judge 
rose to say : " My friends, I have for a long time been 
a professed follower of Jesus Christ, but I have been 
an inconsistent Christian. I have hindered the work 



REVIVALS HINDERED 143 

of God, and stood in the way of this revival ; and I 
rise to ask your forgiveness as I have sought it from 
God/' There was no Benediction pronounced. The 
people, with one accord, passed by the judge to take 
his hand and speak a word of sympathy, and when 
the evening service came the power of God came 
upon the audience, and no less than fifty people ac- 
cepted Christ as a Savior. It was the beginning of a 
work which meant five hundred souls at least for 
Christ. 

The infidelity of the world cannot hinder a revival. 
The sinning of the unregenerate cannot stay the 
wheels of the chariot of Salvation. But the infidelity 
of the Church and the sins of God's children — these 
mightily hinder it. These are an almost insur- 
mountable barrier. 



CHAPTER XIII 

REVIVAL TEXTS AND SERMON 

Texts with a Blessing 

The following texts are submitted because God 
has set His seal of approval upon their use. If we 
are to have a genuine revival in the church, the 
church must always be addressed first in the mes- 
sage. For that reason the texts to be used in such 
meetings are written in their natural order. Special 
classes to be considered are here indicated with ap- 
propriate text for each. 

Texts for the Church 

" Rivers of water run down mine eyes." Psalm 
cxix: 136. 

'' The hour is come." John xvii: i. 

'' Is it well with thee? is it well with thy hus- 
band ? is it well with the child ? " II. Kings, iv : 26. 

" Thou canst not stand before thine enemies until 
ye take away the accursed thing from among you." 
Joshua vii: 13. 

'' For the time is come that judgment must begin 
at the house of God." I.Pet. iv: 17. 

" What manner of persons ought ye to be?" 11, 
Pet. iii: 11. 

144 



REVIVAL TEXTS AND SERMON 145 

" But first gave their own selves to the Lord.'* 
II. Cor. viii : 5. 

'' A Castaway." I. Cor. ix : 2y. 

" The Master is come, and calleth for thee." John 
xi : 28. 

'' And being in an agony he prayed more earn- 
estly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of 
blood falling down to the ground." Luke xxii : 44. 

'' Salute no man by the way." Luke x : 4. 

" Tell His disciples and Peter." Mark xvi : 7. 
'' Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed 
Thee ; what shall we have therefore ? " Matt, xix : 

27. 

" As a mighty man that cannot save." Jer. xiv : 9. 

'' They might be unto me for a people, and for a 
name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they 
would not hear." Jer. xiii: 11. 

" He that winneth souls is wise." Prov. xi : 30. 

*' No man cared for my soul." Ps. cxlii : 4, 

Sermons on the Holy Spirit 

" Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye be- 
lieved ? " Acts xix : 2. 

*' For the love of the Spirit." Rom. xv : 30. 

f The Wind.^Acts ii:2. 

Emd!ems of the \ '^'^ ^^r""/'?!'" ''^^ 
cviv*.*/ . \ The Oil.— John xxv:6. 

:^pirtt . I ^j^^ Water.— John vii:38. 

LThe Result— Acts i:8. 

fOne Baptism.— Acts 1:5. 
The Full Blessing: \ Many Infillines —Acts ii:4. 

[special Anointinojs. — Luke iv. 18. 



146 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

'' And, behold, waters issued out from under the 
threshold of the house eastward." Eze. xlvii: i. 



For Women 

" Her children arise up, and call her blessed/' 
Prov. xxxi: 28. 

'' For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad 
be not with me ? '' Gen. xliv : 34. 

'' Heaven." Rev. xxi : 21. 

For Young People 

" Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy 
youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years 
draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in 
them." Eccl. xii: i. 

" Whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite 
him." Eccl. x : 8. 

" The precious blood of Christ." I. Pet. i : 19. 

For Men 

" What wilt thou say when He shall punish thee ? " 
Jer. xiii: 21. 

" How wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan ? " 
Jer. xii: 5. 

'' What will ye do in the end ? " Jer. v : 31. 

*' And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but 
after this the judgment." Heb. ix: 2"^. 

" I call heaven and earth to record this day against 



REVIVAL TEXTS AND SERMON 147 

you, that I have set before you life and death, bless- 
ing and cursing: therefore choose life/' Deut. xxx: 
19. 

" For he found no place of repentance, though he 
sought it carefully with tears/' Heb. xii : 17. 

'' Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death/' 
Jas. i: 15. . 

For the Unsaved 

'' How shall we escape, if we neglect so great sal- 
vation ? " Heb. ii : 3. 

'' Put that on mine account." Philemon 18. 

" What must I do to be saved ? " Acts xvi : 30, 31. 

" There is no difference." Rom. iii : 22. 

" Except a man be born again, he cannot see the 
kingdom of God." John iii : 3. 

'' The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that 
which was lost." Luke xix: 10. 

'' But when he was yet a great way off, his father 
saw him." Luke xv: 20. 

'' Thou art not far from the kingdom of God." 
Mark xii : 34. 

'' Except ye be converted, and become as little 
children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of 
heaven." Matt, xviii: 3. 

The unpardonable sin. Matt, xii : 32. 

'' He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not 
warning." Ezek. xxxiii: 5. 

" Come now, and let us reason together, saith the 
Lord : though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as 
white as snow." Isa. i: 18. 



148 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

" A threefold cord is not quickly broken.'' Eccl. 
IV : 12. 

" And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned 
against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The 
Lord also hath put away thy sin." IL Sam. xii: 13. 

'' And we came to Kadesh-barnea." Deut. i : 19. 

" And he said. To-morrow.'' Ex. viii : 10. 

The following sermon is presented only that it 
may be an appeal to the Christian people whose eyes 
may light upon this page, that they may be stirred up 
to duty for the unsaved around them. 

Text: " No man cared for my soul/' Psalm cxlii : 

4. 

This text ought always to be spoken in a minor 

key. I verily believe that when David sobbed it out 
in the cave it must have been after this fashion. 
There is probably no man in history whose life is so 
filled with real contrast as that of the writer of this 
text. We study him first of all, and behold he is a 
shepherd. And we turn over a very few pages of his 
history and he is transformed into a king. We study 
him again, and he has blackened the pages of Old 
Testament history with his sin. And we have but to 
read a little more and he is changed into a 
saint, charming us with his life and inspiring us 
with his message. We look at him from another 
view-point and he is a poet. The world has had lit- 
tle poetry that could outrank the psalms of David. 
And when we study him in poetry we are constantly 
confronted with the fact that he is a musician, and 
all the world has heard of the sweet singer of Israel. 
We look at him in one place, and behold, he is a pur- 



REVIVAL TEXTS AND SERMON 149 

suer and the hosts, of the enemy, run and cry and flee 
before him. We study him again and the scene is 
greatly changed, for he is pursued himself. And it 
is in this character that we study him in connection 
with the text. 

The coast of the Dead Sea is very broken, and just 
here we find the Cave of Engedi with darkness so 
dense that a little way from the mouth of it you 
could not see your hand belore you. It is here that 
David says, '' I looked on my right hand and beheld, 
but there was no man that would know me. Refuge 
failed me ; no man cared for my soul." 

It is not my purpose, however, to take even a lit- 
tle of the time to speak of David's cry, except as it 
is known to be the real cry of the vast army of the 
unsaved who are to-day without God, and without 
hope in the world. And, alas, sometimes it would 
seem as if they have a right to say, no one seems to 
care. 

This is all the more strange when it is known that 
we are not insensible to physical distress. I had just 
closed a noon meeting in the City of Detroit when we 
were startled by the cry of fire as the people hurried 
along the streets, and it was said that the great Ed- 
son Moore Building was in flames. One of my 
friends who witnessed the conflagration said that for 
some reason the fire appliances would not work. The 
elevator shaft was a seething mass of flame and the 
fire-escape was too hot for the men to attempt to es- 
cape by means of it. Those who were imprisoned in 
the upper stories came to the upper windows. They 
stood upon the stone casements of the windows and 



150 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

shouted for help. They let themselves down and held 
on with their hands crying for help; finally, when 
none could be given them they let go their hand- 
clasp, shot down through the air, and striking on the 
hard stone pavement were instantly killed. And I 
remember when I made the announcement at night 
to a great crowd gathered in the Auditorium, that 
there were little children that night fatherless, and 
homes where the wives were sitting with breaking 
hearts, there did not seem to be a dry eye in all the 
building. 

And yet, when we realize that all about us are men 
who are dead in sin, and lost because of their rejec- 
tion of Christ, we seem to be unmoved and almost in- 
different. And if you should say that the preaching 
in the church is quite sufficient in the way of an in- 
vitation, my reply is that the unsaved people do not 
think it so. I remember a gentleman who became a 
member of my congregation whom I knew to be un- 
saved, and to whom I one day made a visit, telling 
him that I had made up my mind that I would never 
allow any one to enter my church and stay 
there for any length of time without I 
gave him a special invitation to come to Christ. 
I told him of his mother's concern and of 
his wife's anxious thought for his salvation, and 
when I asked him to come to Christ, his face sud- 
denly paled and the tears began to run down his 
cheeks when he said : " This is the first invitation I 
have ever had to be a Christian. I had just about 
made up my mind that no one cared for my soul." 

1. Yet this needs a word of explanation on behalf 



REVIVAL TEXTS AND SERMON I5I 

of those of us who are Christians, for in point of fact, 
the members of the church are not indifferent to the 
unsaved about them, but there are certain reasons 
why we have failed to speak, and faihng, have given 
them the right to say in the words of the text: 
" No one cares for my soul." 

(i) The feeling of unworthiness has often 
sealed our lips. We know how we have failed at the 
bar of our own judgment and realizing the critical 
spirit that those who are unsaved have, we have felt 
condemned in their presence and have been afraid to 
ask them to come to Him wdien we have so poorly 
represented him. 

But let it be known by every Christian that if he 
counts himself unworthy his unsaved friend counts 
him absolutely inconsistent if he has failed to ask 
him to come to Christ. 

I was holding a meeting in a Southern city, when 
a gentleman came to ask me to pray for his brother, 
who was a professed skeptic. '' By all means," he 
said, '^ do not speak to him, but only pray." But I 
had already invited him to meet me in my room in 
the hotel, and when the business was transacted for 
which I had called him to come, I said to him, '' Mr. 
B., if I could only tell you all that Christ is to me, 
how He has helped me in my home and in my whole 
Christian life, I could win you to Him ; and I should 
like to give you a personal invitation to accept Him 
just now." I took his hand in mine, and he drew it 
away quickly and started for the door. As he went 
I felt sure that I must have made a mistake and that 
his brother knew the best. But when he had just at- 



152 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

tempted to cross the threshold he came back, and 
reaching out his hand once more he said : '' I want to 
thank you for your kindness. I have Hved in the 
home of my brother, who is an officer of the church 
and in all the years of my life there he has never 
once asked me to be a Christian. They say that I am 
a skeptic and it is all but true because of what has 
seemed to be the indifference of my brother. I 
thought that ' no one cared for my soul.' " 

(2) We sometimes fail to speak because we do 
not realize that those out of Christ are lost, but ac- 
cording to the Bible we certainly know that " he 
that hath not the Son of God hath not life, but the 
wrath of God abideth on him." 

Mr. Moody tells the story of the mother who 
brought her baby into an eye infirmary in Chi- 
cago and said, '' Doctor, there is something 
wrong with my baby's eyes." The doctor looked 
at them a moment and gave the child back 
to the mother with a solemn shake of his 
head and when she said, " What is it, doc- 
tor?" He said, ''Your baby is going blind, and 
in three months' time he will be stone blind." Mr. 
Moody said the mother held her baby at arm's length 
for a moment, then pulled him against her and fell 
in a swoon upon the floor, crying, '' My God, my 
baby blind." It is possible that we can sympathize 
with her in her grief. If while I speak the door 
should open and a messenger should come in to bear 
me tidings that one of my children had suddenly lost 
his eye-sight, and could never see me again in this 



REVIVAL TEXTS AND SERMON 153 

world I can understand exactly what I should do 
and how you would appreciate the depth of my sor- 
row. And yet, our Master has said it is better to be 
" Lame and halt and blind '' rather than to be lost ; 
and without Christ men are lost. 

(3) We have an idea that men do not care to talk 
about their soul's salvation, and so our lips have been 
sealed. I have possibly the saddest testimony of any- 
one ; I roomed with a man in college for almost two 
}'ears; I was a student for the ministry and knew 
that he was not a Christian, and I never warned him 
once. At the close of my college course he said to me, 
'' Why have you never asked me to be a Christian ? " 
And when I told him that I thought he did not care 
he told me that that was the reason why he had 
chosen the room with me, that there had not been a 
day or a night that he was not willing to talk. And 
then, try as hard as I would to lead him to Christ, I 
failed. Another classmate won him and a little later 
going to his home in the South he was a victim of the 
yellow fever. He is saved to-day, but will never 
shine as a '' star in the crown of my rejoicing." 
. The unsaved people do care, and they many times 
long for you to speak. There are special times when 
we may go to them. 

(i) In the day of trouble. If ever you can find 
one whose heart is aching seek him out and tell him 
of Christ, who alone can give him peace. 

(2) In the day of an awakening. If God is sav- 
ing other people he can save your friend ; it requires 
no more of the power of God to save five thousand 



154 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

than to save one. And if He is saving one it requires 
all His power. So bring your friends to Him as He 
is '' passing by.'' 

(3) Whenever God says go, then go. I was walk- 
ing down the streets of a Western city with one of 
the ministers when he stopped and said, '' Fve had a 
man on my mind for many days. He has not been in 
church for years, but for some reason I cannot get 
away from him.. What would you advise me to do? '' 
I gave him the rule that when God said go He 
was preparing the heart for the coming of his mes- 
senger. He turned about, and when he reached the 
house where the man lived, behold the man met him 
at the door and said to him, '' Doctor I have been 
afraid you wouldn't come, and for all the day I 
have not left the house." In a few minutes they were 
on their knees in his library, and a little later the old 
man rose up saved. I was going through the West- 
ern country a little while afterwards and I read in 
one of the Chicago papers that this old man wtas 
dead. He was one of the principal merchants of the 
city. A little later I had a message from the minister 
in which he said that he was in the room when he 
died, that he sent a message to me because of the 
memory of the meetings, and then putting his arms 
about his neck he said, '' I thank God that you came 
that day; if you had missed that day I might have 
missed Heaven." So this is the rule, if God says go, 
I beseech you do not tarry. 

H. But we could change the text a little bit and 
it would be true, — the world does not care for your 
soul, it can give you money and honor and power, 
but your soul will starve with all of these things. 



REVIVAL TEXTS AND SERMON 155 

In one of his books Count Leo Tolstoi has given 
the story of the place in Russia where it was said that 
a Russian peasant could have all the ground that he 
would measure out from sunrise to sunset. And he 
'tells how when the sun rose in the morning a 
peasant started on his journey after the land. He 
saw the waving trees in the distance and said, " They 
shall be mine.'' He saw the glisten of the lake be- 
yond them and he said, '' I will take that in." He saw 
the fertile plain just ahead and determined that it 
should be his own, but when he had gained these he 
lifted his eyes, and behold, the sun had gone beyond 
the meridian. Then he bent every energy to reach 
the starting place. The sun dropped lower and lower, 
but he reached the starting point just as the sun went 
down, and he gained it all. But Count Tolstoi says, 
that when they picked him up, he was dead. Whether 
this story be true or not, over against it ought to be 
written the text, '' What shall it profit a man, if he 
gain the whole world and lose his own soul ; or what 
shall he give in exchange for his soul? '' The world 
does not care. 

HI. Satan does not care for your soul. He flat- 
ters and deceives until at last you are his prisoner 
and then he mocks you in your despair, and if when 
you feel the wretchedness of it all, you cry out, '' Oh, 
wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me,'' your 
only answer is, his sneering one, and '' there is no 
deliverance, neither in this world, neither in the 
world to come." And Satan doesn't care. 

IV. But God cares. He cared enough to send 
His only Begotten Son to die for you, and then to 
send the Spirit of God to make His death both plain 



156 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

and powerful. And Christ cares. He cared enough 
to '' endure the cross, and to despise the shame " to 
give His Hfe a ransom for you and for many, if only 
by means of His death and His glorious resurrection 
you might one day be saved. 

And the church cares. Whatever may be said of 
individual churches, the church at large does care 
for the unsaved, and the day will come when all her 
money, her machinery and her membership shall be 
consecrated to a world-wide effort to lead the lost 
into the kingdom of God. 

Possibly someone may read this and say, '' What 
must I do then to be saved ? " With all this concern 
for you the way of salvation is easy. GkDd does not 
say, grow better, and finally you merit eternal life. 
He does not say, cut off this sin, or that, and you will 
be a candidate for my favor. He does not say, love 
Me and I will save you. One of my friends in the 
West, a Presbyterian minister, told me of one of his 
friends who had a little girl born deaf and dumb. 
The father was very wealthy and never would allow 
the child to be taken away from his home that she 
might be instructed. They had a kind of sign lan- 
guage they understood between themselves, but he 
would not allow her to go to an institution to be 
taught. He wanted to go to Europe at last, and his 
friend, the minister, suggested that he should take 
her to the great institution for deaf and dumb chil- 
dren in the city of J . This he did, thinking only 

that they could teach her to talk on her fingers, never 
realizing for a moment that they could teach her to 
talk with her lips. But when the year's absence in 



REVIVAL TEXTS AND SERMON 157 

Europe was past, the child was told that on a certain 
day he would come after her, when with her little 
face pressed close against the window she saw him 
enter the grounds, she bounded through the door and 
down the steps and along the gravel way, sprang up 
into his arms, put her lips close to his ear, and said, 
'' Papa, I love you." And my friend said, the father 
held her just a moment out at arm's length, and then 
fell from weakness on the ground. They picked him 
up and took him into the institution, and all the day 
long he sobbed and cried, '' I have heard her speak, 
and she loves me." 

But God does not say this to you. He only says, 
'' Trust Me ; believe on Me ; fully accept Me ; " and 
" Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as 
white as snow ; though they be red like crimson, they 
shall be as wool." God cares for your soul. 



CHAPTER XIV 

The Parochial Mission of the Episcopal Church 

HISTORY 

A SKETCH of the rise and progress of the Paro- 
chial Mission movement need not go back much more 
than twenty years. Prior to 1869, evangeHstic work 
in this form had been carried on, with varying de- 
grees of success, in different parts of this country 
and of England ; but the impulse which was given 
by the great London Mission of 1869 may fairly be 
said to mark the beginning of what we may call an 
evangelistic era in the history of the Anglican com- 
munion. The way had been prepared through the 
prayers and labors of men like Robert Aitken and the 
priests of the Society of St. John the Evangelist. 
These men felt, with John Wesley, the need of some 
quickening power within the Church of England. 
They saw how the Parochial Mission had become a 
regular feature of aggressive work in the Roman 
Church. They noted the growth of the movement in- 
France, from the early part of the seventeenth 
century, when it was inaugurated by St. Vincent de 
Paul, until the middle of the nineteenth century^, 
when there existed committees of priests who de- 
voted themselves entirely to this work. They saw 

158 



HISTORY 1 59 

how whole communities were moved and stirred by 
the preaching of Wesleyan evangehsts on the one 
hand, and Dominican and Redemptorist monks on 
the other. Was it not possible to use such effective 
instruments in the Church of England? They be- 
lieved that it was; and the London Mission of 1869 
was alike an answer to their prayers and a confirma- 
tion of their judgment. In that year, some sixty 
churches in the great metropolis began a general 
parochial mission. 

From that time, the Parochial Mission has been a 
recognized institution in the Church of England. 
The Church of England Parochial Missions Society 
has a staff of over tw^o hundred missioners, all of 
whom, with one or two possible exceptions, are also 
engaged in regular parochial work. So firmly has the 
principle of evangelistic work taken root, that a 
brotherhood of mission preachens has been formed, 
to devote their whole time to this work. Men of all 
shades of opinion in the Church unite in advocacy of 
this movement. The bishops are a unit in its sup- 
port, but notable advocates of the system are the 
Archbishop of York, and the Bishops of Rochester 
and Truro. 

While the mother Church was thus active, her 
American daughter did not fold her hands. There 
were earnest men in this country who began to feel 
their way over rough places and through much 
darkness to safer ground and better light. As far 
back as 1869, during the session of the General Con- 
vention in the city of New York, an attempt was 
made to organize a society for evangelistic work. At 



l60 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

a meeting in Calvary Church, stirring words were 
spoken by earnest men — Bishops and Presbyters. It 
would seem that the angel who stirred the waters of 
England's Bethesda was troubling also the placid 
waters of America's healing pool. 

One immediate outcome of the New York Advent 
Mission was the organization of the Parochial Mis- 
sions Society for the United States. The Bishop of 
New York is President, and more than twenty of our 
Bishops are honorary Vice-Presidents, by virtue of 
their avowed approval of the work. We have a staff 
of more than thirty American missioners — nearly all 
of them untried men before 1886; but we have had 
abundant verification already of a prediction made 
five years ago by Dean Church, of St. Paul's, Lon- 
don. '' God will raise up from among yourselves, 
and from those whom you least expect, the right 
kind of missioners to do your work.'' Under the au- 
spices of the society there have been held some forty 
missions. In no case has a failure been reported. We 
should be ashamed to confess that any mission had 
completely satisfied our aspirations; but we have 
been blessed with a measure of success beyond our 
expectations. One extract from a letter from a cler- 
gyman, in whose parish a mission was held, will 
serve as a specimen of nearly all. 

A presbyter of the Diocese of Chicago writes: 
'' The results were not short-lived. Over a year has 
passed, and, while I looked for nothing remarkable 
or unusual, yet I can trace back much of the present 
spiritual life of the parish to that work. The men 
awakened then have continued faithful. Three of 



HISTORY I 6 I 

those confirmed soon after the mission are now 
valued vestrymen. The meetings for men only 
which resulted in the organization of a chapter of the 
Guild of the Iron Cross, were the beginning of a 
good work among our young men ; and in a class of 
thirty, which I shall present for confirmation in a 
few days, there are seven promising young men who 
are members of this Guild. The observance of Lent 
this year, so far as I can judge, is quite as satisfac- 
tory as it w^as last year, immediately following the 
mission. I mention this as an answer to those who 
say that a reaction is sure to follow a mission. That 
has not been the case with us/' 



CHAPTER XV 

: THE PREPARATION FOR THE MISSION 

I The preparation for a mission is really more im- 

! portant than the work of the mission itself. This 

\ preparatory work cannot well be prosecuted unless 

I certain conditions are favorable. There are some 

i circumstances under which it is unreasonable to look 

I for good results from a mission. A parish which, 

I like the Church in Sardis, is in a moribund condition, 

i cannot be revived by a mission. It lacks the power 

I to work and to pray for a blessing, and the best 

I efforts of any missioner in such a field will be futile. 

I It is not well to hold a mission in a parish where 

! ' the rector has not been in charge for at least a year, 

li and so had time to acquire a thorough knowledge of 

his cure in every detail. Disappointment is sure to 
follow if there be disaffection between pastor and 
people. A mission is not a '' panacea for parish ill- 
health ; it will not ward off a ministerial failure, it 
will not refill an emptying church." Indeed, if there 
be any root of bitterness it will be intensified rather 
than allayed, just in proportion as the people con- 
trast the strength of the missioner with the defects, 
real or imaginary, of the rector. It goes without say- 
ing, that the sole object of a mission is to produce 

162 



THE PREPARATION FOR THE MISSION 163 

Spiritual effect ; and if there be any ulterior motive — 
any striving after a mere semblance of activity, any 
hope of bringing the rector into prominence, or of 
reaping material advantage by the renting of pews, 
or the lifting of a church debt — if there be any such 
aim or purpose, a blessing is impossible. Any untrue 
or sinister motives will be quickly discerned and dis- 
counted by the people. No mission should be under- 
taken unless pastor and people give themselves as- 
siduously, with one heart and aim, to the work of 
spiritual preparation ; but a mission having been once 
agreed upon and appointed should not be given up. 
It should be made a point of honor to fulfill the en- 
gagement made with the missioner, who, in case of 
failure, may find it impossible to use his time and 
efforts in another field where he would have been 
gladly received but for his prior engagement with 
the delinquent rector. 

We will suppose that in any given parish the con- 
ditions suggested are favorable. There is no friction 
between pastor and people; the wheels of parochial 
machinery run smoothly ; there is a Gideon's band of 
earnest, prayerful men and women ; congregations 
are fairly good ; baptisms and confirmations respecta- 
ble in numbers ; every outward indication favorable. 
And yet, there seems to be a lack of spiritual power. 
The Church is not a centre of godly influences radi- 
ating throughout the community. The people lead 
correct lives, but there is a lack of point and definite- 
ness in their aims. There is little spontaneity of ac- 
tion ; their Christian walk is one of outward con- 
formity to the commandments, rather than a fulfill- 



164 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

ing of the law in love. Their zeal needs quickening ; 
there are many Marthas, but few Marys. Without 
the Church are large numbers who ought to be 
within. Ordinary means have been tried, but they 
have largely failed. Here is the place for the 
extraordinary agency of the Parochial Mission. In 
such a parish, the right use of the proper means is 
sure to produce good results. People have only to 
recognize and act upon a law which is invariable: 
that God accomplishes spiritual wonders, no less than 
natural effect, by means of human agencies. He does 
not need man's help, but He graciously permits us 
to be fellow laborers with Him. Who shall tell how 
much the gift of the Spirit at Pentecost depended 
upon the disciples' obedience to the command to tari-y 
in Jerusalem until the promised Comforter should 
come ? Who shall tell how many times of refreshing 
have been hindered because the people forgot to work 
and pray for a blessing ? God is always ready to bless 
us; the prayer for the Holy Spirit is always an- 
swered, just when we ask it, just how wc ask it, and 
in just such measure as we ask it. '' As I live, saith 
the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the 
wicked ; but that the wicked turn from his way and 
live.'' God is not only always ready and willing, but 
always eager, to save sinners. There is never a time 
when He will not crown men's efforts to advance 
that kingdom for which we daily pray. His love for 
sinners never cools ; and He cannot give a stone when 
we ask for bread. Let men look into their own 
hearts, and then look out upon the whole groaning 
creation around them, and they will feel the need of 



THE PREPARATION FOR THE MISSION 1 65 

a blessing, such as the Parochial Mission may tring. 
The realization of the need is the first step towards 
praying aright for the consecration of baptized for- 
malism among us and the conviction of open ungod- 
liness around us. Very great things are promised to 
those who seek them in prayer. The greater works 
which the world is yet to see will be the result and 
reward of faith. If believers honestly pray that 
" God will raise up His power and come among them 
and with great might succor them," they have 
Christ's own assurance that that prayer will be an- 
swered. If these words voice the earnest yearning of 
only a faithful few in a community, the blessing will 
come. It is Christ Himself who says, " If two of you 
shall agree on earth as touching anything that they 
shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father 
which is in Heaven.'' 

There are many deep mysteries about prayer. We 
ask for life and health, and temporal blessings, and 
God sometimes withholds them for our own profit. 
We make our plans and ask God's help in furthering 
them, but they come to naught, because His ordering 
is best. We may not see the wisdom or justice of His 
dealings with us now, but it will all be plain when we 
see no longer " through a glass darkly." But there 
are certain facts about prayer which are not mys- 
teries at all. Just as truly as there is a God who 
hears the prayers of His people, the Holy Spirit is 
given to those who ask. Are there two earnest souls 
in any community willing to take God at His word, 
and to test His promise ? " Prove me now," He says : 
" if I will not open you the windows of heaven and 



1 66 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room 
enough to receive it." Are there '' two or three '' 
willing to take God at His word? Are they ready to 
come before Him with one heart and one mouth, and 
pray Him to '' strengthen the things that remain, 
and are ready to die," '' turning the hearts of the 
disobedient to the wisdom of the just," converting 
sinners, establishing the faithful, and restoring to 
darkened minds the Hght of His truth? The writer 
is no prophet ; but if any two be agreed in this — these 
are Christ's own words, not a sinful man's — '' it 
shall be done." 

The first thing to be emphasized, then, after a mis- 
sion has been decided upon, is constant, believing, 
earnest prayer. It is well for the pastor to gather a 
few of his best workers about him, state his purpose, 
and then together lay it before God. Then the mis- 
sion has begun. Good fruit will already appear in the 
quickened devotion of these few. Then let a public 
announcement be made with the request for the 
prayers of all. It is well to have a form of prayer 
ready for distribution. These should be printed 
neatly on slips of convenient size, but thet are not 
for promiscuous distribution. Any one who is earn- 
est enough to pray will be earnest enough to come to 
the rector and ask for a copy of the prayer. By this 
very act, the person stands committed to use the 
prayer, and the rector has the great satisfaction of 
knowing who and how many they are who have 
promised to pray for the mission. This should be 
done from three to six months before the time. ap- 
pointed for the mission services to begin. During 



THE PREPARATION FOR THE MISSION 167 

these months, it is well to keep the matter constantly 
before the people by holding meetings fortnightly at 
first, and weekly afterwards, for united prayer. Let 
these gatherings be as informal as possible. If any 
feel moved to use extempore prayer, by all means 
give them full liberty to do so. Let there be perfect 
freedom, also, to speak as the Spirit shall give utter- 
ance. This interchange of thought may produce a 
contagion of holy enthusiasm. 

As soon as the people have begun to pray they 
must be set to work. They must realize that they 
have something to do with the answering of their 
prayers. God has committed the ministry of recon- 
ciliation to sinful men, and the stewardship of His 
mysteries to earthly vessels. All believers are mem- 
bers of a royal priesthood, and each in his own way 
has something to do. He cannot relegate his work 
to any other; unless he does it, it remains undone, 
and just so far the purpose of God is thwarted. 
Every one must serve God in his own vocation and 
ministry, and do his part towards '' preparing a high- 
way in the wilderness for our Lord." To put each 
one at work, in his proper place, will require the best 
tact and wisest generalship of the rector; but he must 
give to every one some duty and responsibility. One 
of the first matters requiring attention will be the 
music. Some hymns must be learned and practised 
which are not in the Church Hymnal. The mission- 
er's choice and wishes concerning these should be 
consulted and followed. Let as many volunteers as 
possible be enlisted. They need not all be good voices 
or trained musicians, but a good and skilful leader is 



1 68 



REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 



a necessity. A few solos and duets may often be 
practised and used with good effect. If helpers can 
be secured from other congregations, so much the 
better. The next step will be to organize the work- 
ers. Let the rector appoint a large executive com- 
mittee, who must be in complete accord with him 
and with the missioner, and who shall have a thor- 
ough understanding, from the very outset, about 
plans and methods. This committee should be sub- 
divided in some such manner as this : 

1. A Visiting Committee. 

2. A Choir Committee. 

3. A Publication Committee. 

4. A Finance Committee. 

The visitors should be chosen from the most earn- 
est of the workers. A map of the parish should be 
made and divided into districts. Each of these dis- 
tricts should be intrusted to two visitors who will go 
together into every house. Anything like condescen- 
sion or a patronizing manner is of course to be 
avoided. Let the visitors leave cards of invitation, 
supplementing them with a few kindly words. If the 
people visited be members of some other religious 
communion, it is well to ask them to come on the 
strength of the help which their example and pres- 
ence will give. Let such persons be asked, also, to 
remember the mission in their prayers. The recep- 
tion which visitors will receive will not always be 
cordial; but in no case that has yet come to our 
knowledge have visitors been met with anything like 



THE PREPARATION FOR THE MISSION 1 69 

rudeness or insult. One incident, in illustration of 
this, may be mentioned. When it was determined by 
the rector of a large and important city parish that 
every house in the neighborhood should be visited, 
the congregation, at first, were startled. 

Then lady visitors volunteered to go two and two 
to do the work. They were warned that they might 
be insulted, and were advised to ask the advice of 
their husbands, brothers or fathers before under- 
taking it. Not one of them flinched or resigned, and 
the result was that they were everywhere received 
with the utmost kindness, and, in some cases, grati- 
tude. Some of the persons visited declared that this 
was the first invitation to come to church that had 
been extended to them in America. The services of 
men may also be utilized as visitors to distribute 
cards of invitation in stores, factories, shops, and 
even in billiard rooms and saloons. In one parish the 
rector and his assistant undertook this last duty 
themselves, and were everywhere politely received. 

Some of the duties of the choir committee have 
already been noted. If the Mission Hymnal be used, 
a good supply should be ordered at once. The great 
majority of the people will prefer to have their own 
copies, and they should be furnished at cost, which 
being so low, puts them within the reach of nearly 
all. 

Upon the publication committee will devolve much 
responsibility. Good business men should be chosen 
for this work — men who understand the art of ad- 
vertising. It will be of immense advantage to secure 
the co-operation with this committee of one or more 



1 7^ REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

persons connected with the press. The courtesy of 
editors should be used to the utmost limit short of 
imposition. Frequent local notices, a vigorous edi- 
torial by the rector, besides paid advertisements^ 
should be inserted from time to time. 

A liberal supply of tracts, such as are named in 
the appendix, should be circulated, and copies kept 
constantly in the vestibule of the church. They 
should also be left in good quantity in hotel offices, 
reading-rooms, counting-rooms, the post-office, 
banks and everywhere that they will be likely to be 
picked up and read. The members of this commit- 
tee should be prepared at all times to give printed 
copies of the letters which the Bishop, missioner or 
rector or all of them, may have addressed to the peo- 
ple. They will see to it that well-displayed posters 
are hung in conspicuous places. This should be be- 
gun at least two weeks before the mission, and sys- 
tematically and thoroughly carried out. Other means 
of advertising will occur to the committee but some 
forms for those already suggested will be found in 
the appendix. 

The work of the finance committee will not gen- 
erally be arduous. As far as possible, questions 
about ways and means for raising money should be 
kept in the background. Sometimes the vestry will 
feel justified in^ authorizing the expenditure of a 
given amount ; sometimes a few individuals will as- 
sume all responsibility. In one case, a single member 
of the vestry gave the rector carte blanche for the 
expenses of the mission, and in addition demon- 
strated his interest by forbidding his agent to let 



THE PREPARATION FOR THE MISSION l7^ 

the opera-house, which he owned, for any entertain- 
ment while the mission lasted. Such cases, of course, 
are rare; so that the best encouragement for any 
people contemplating a mission is furnished by the 
experience of a parish which may be cited here. The 
rector appointed a finance committee with the dis- 
tinct understanding that they were not to solicit sub- 
scriptions from any one. They were simply to re- 
ceive, account for and disburse such free-will offer- 
ings as should be placed in their hands. No one was 
asked to pledge anything. No collections were taken. 
A box was placed in the vestibule of the church, in 
which voluntary gifts were deposited. The parish 
was one of between three and four hundred commu- 
nicants in a city of some thirty-five thousand inhabi- 
tants. The total expenses were something like one 
hundred and twenty dollars, and the total receipts 
about two dollars more. The largest sum given by 
any one person was five dollars. Broadly speaking, 
there need be no anxiety, in any parish, on the score 
of expense. Any venture of faith, short of absolute 
presumption, will be abundantly rewarded. A mis- 
sion need cost but very little; on the other hand, a 
large outlay may wisely and prudently be made. The 
main expenses are those of advertising and the en- 
tertainment of the missioner. To this must be added 
the missioner's traveling expenses, which, of course, 
will depend upon the distance which he is obliged to 
come. The missioners of the Parochial Missions 
Society are strictly forbidden to receive any com- 
pensation whatever, or any present in recognition 
of their services. In general it may be said that no 



172 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

parish, where there is a reasonable prospect of hold- 
ing a profitable mission, need be deterred by any fear 
of expense. Wherever the experiment has been 
tried, so far as our observation extends, the people 
have surprised themselves by the generosity of their 
ofiferings. These different sub-committees should 
hold frequent meetings by themselves, and the 
whole working force should meet occasionally for 
mutual counsel and encouragement. 

Is it superfluous to lay special stress again upon 
the necessity of constant prayer? Every one who 
can should work; but some who cannot work can 
pray. The absent, the sick, the disabled, the aged — 
let them all pray unceasingly, BELIE VI NGLY, 
PREVAILINGLY. 



CHAPTER XVI 

CONDUCT OF THE MISSION 

It is not intended in this chapter to lay down 
rules for the conduct of a mission so much as to de- 
scribe the methods and plans which have been pur- 
sued with the best results. It is more in line with 
our purpose to tell what is done at a mission than 
how to do it. No one will understand the writer, 
therefore, as necessarily committing himself to every 
detail of method here noted. 

The date for the opening of the mission being at 
hand, the missioner will seek a preliminary confer- 
ence with the rector of the parish and such others of 
the clergy in the immediate neighborhood who may 
co-operate with him. An hour or more thus spent in 
prayer and counsel will have a telling effect upon 
the whole work of the mission. Supposing the mis- 
sion to begin on a Sunday — as most missioners pre- 
fer — it is well to have an introductory service on 
the Saturday evening immediately preceding. This 
will be attended mainly by the workers and the more 
earnest communicants. A simple form of service 
from the Prayer Book, such as will be found in the 
appendix, has been used with great acceptance and 
the most happy results. A few words of welcome 

173 



I 74 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

from the rector, and a stirring setting forth of the 
work by the missioner, will serve to get all '' in 
tune/' so to speak, for the real labor of the mission. 
It is at this meeting that the circumstances are most 
favorable for earnest, prevailing prayer that the 
Holy Spirit will bless the work undertaken. Here 
the people draw very near to God, and therefore 
nearer to each other. '' Often at such times,'' says 
the Bishop of Rochester, '' the sentence of the 
evangelist seems verified, ' A cloud overshadowed 
them, and they feared as they entered into the 
cloud.' And to the mission preacher himself that 
first meeting acts like the lifting of a curtain, or the 
thawing of a frozen sea between himself and the 
people he would serve. He feels that in some de- 
gree, at least, he has begun to win their confidence. 
They have looked each other in the face, and are no 
longer strangers. They will all go home to pray for 
him, and when the next day he stands up to deliver 
his first message, some of the seed, he is well as- 
sured, will fall into prepared and kindly hearts." 

The usual order of services on Sunday will be 
varied as little as possible, but by all means there 
will be Holy Communion. No matter what the ordi- 
nary rule of the parish may be, there is no cogent 
reason to prevent the administration of this Sacra- 
ment on the Sundays during a mission. Whatever 
other variation there may be will be rather in the 
way of addition than alteration. Sunday afternoon 
is generally the best time for an address to men only. 
The week-day services will be arranged with a view 
to local circumstances and conditions, but it is a good 



CONDUCT OF THE MISSION 1 75 

rule to have the regular offices of the Church what- 
ever else may be done. The most rigid rubrician can 
find no fault with additional services after morning 
and evening prayer have been said. It is the invaria- 
ble rule of the writer to do what the Church directs 
first, and then to take the largest liberty which is the 
reward of obedience In his missions he insists upon 
having the daily offices, and endeavors, also, to ob- 
serve a daily celebration. This rule has never been a 
hindrance, but always a help, to securing attendance 
at the other services. There may not be many at 
morning and evening prayer, but there are always 
the '' two or three," and these are enough, not only 
to obtain their own petitions, but to represent their 
brethren, and so make their worship a parochial, as 
well as an individual, oblation. Morning prayer is 
followed, after a brief interval which may be occu- 
pied in singing, by an instruction on some point of 
Christian living or believing. Where the numbers 
in attendance warrant it, the form of discourse may 
be that of the sermon, but most missioners find a 
colloquial style more effective, and some emphasize 
their position as teachers, rather than preachers, by 
remaining seated during the instruction. After a 
half hour's teaching a collect is said, the blessing 
given, and the people permitted to withdraw; but 
any who have questions to ask, or further explana- 
tion to seek, are encouraged to remain. There may 
be a little reserve at first, but the ice is soon broken, 
and '' friend holds fellowship with friend." Of 
course there are dangers attendant upon this So- 
cratic method of teaching, which only the missioner's 



176 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

tact and judgment can avert. Foolish and irrelevant 
questions will sometimes be asked; some pedantic 
persons will put a statement into the form of a ques- 
tion to which there can be but one answer; others, 
who are of a combative temperament, will try to 
start a debate w^hich is fatal to all spiritualizing in- 
fluence. Moreover, it is just the opportunity which 
*' cranks '' and '' the Lord's silly people " delight in, 
to air their pet hobbies. Such persons have to be 
managed kindly but firmly, and the missioner, if he 
be equal to his duties, will know how to control them. 
The possible dangers, however, are as nothing to 
the certain benefits of religious conferences like 
these. The plan is that followed at Northfield and 
elsewhere by Professor Henry Drummond of Glas- 
gow. 

An afternoon service, bright, short, and with good 
singing, is sure to attract the children, but let it be 
remembered that these lambs are to be fed as well as 
the sheep; they are to be instructed — perhaps con- 
verted — rather than entertained. Most of them are 
old enough to know what sin is, and all have need to 
know what they must do to be saved. When a mis- 
sioner finds that he lacks the power to reach and to 
influence children, he had better relegate this part 
of his work to another. In the Church of England 
there are '' children's missioners,'' men whose whole 
work is in this line, and the value of their ministra- 
tions has been most amply attested. Very few can 
preach to children as Dr. Richard Newton did; but 
when more of the clergy are ready to work as he 
worked for the lambs of \m flock, there will be more 



CONDUCT OF THE MISSION 1 77 

of our children who will be fed with '' the sincere 
milk of the Word." 

The main service of the mission is at night. Even- 
ing prayer having been said in the afternoon, the 
liturgical portion of this service is very short. There 
should be nothing requiring responses or anything to 
make a stranger feel conspicuous. One passage from 
Holy Scripture, a few stirring hymns, and two or 
three collects, altogether occupying ten or fifteen 
minutes will be enough. Then follows the sermon ; a 
plain presentation of some great truth to arouse the 
impenitent, the careless, or the indifferent. If these 
people can ever be induced to attend church, it will 
be during a mission. Properly directed efforts will 
bring them.. The parish workers must realize that 
this is the time for their best work. Visiting must 
not be relaxed. Personal invitations must be pressed 
more earnestly. Ushers must be on hand to welcome 
strangers, and give them the best seats. A large 
placard, with the order of services, in front of the 
church, may well be replaced by a transparency and 
an electric light at night. In a city, '' dodgers " 
should be handed to passers-by, within a radius of 
several blocks, for an hour before the service, in- 
viting all to attend. Sometimes a portion of the 
choir will sing mission hymns in the vestibule for 
twenty minutes before the service. Any method is 
right, which is not wrong, to reach those wandering 
sheep and '' compel them to come in." If they will 
not come to us, we must go to them. We are Ma- 
homet ; they are the mountain. Missioners differ as 
to the most effective hymns for evangelistic services. 



178 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

Some confine themselves to the Church Hymnal, 
with an occasional voluntary, perhaps, from any 
source, by a solo singer. The general testimony is, 
however, that for the peculiar work of the mission, 
persons are influenced, who might not otherwise be 
reached, by a particular class of hymns. Such col- 
lections have been published, both in England and 
America, and a most judicious compilation is that of 
a committee appointed by the Parochial Missions 
Society for the United States, published by Biglow 
& Main, 76 East Ninth Street, New York. But to 
return to the mission service. The sermon ended, a 
hymn is sung, during which those who cannot re- 
main half an hour longer are asked to retire. Then 
follows that which needs the most explanation, but 
is the most difficult to explain — the ''after-meeting.'' 
It is the most flexible, and therefore the most vari- 
able, appliance of the mission. Hardly any two mis- 
sioners use it in precisely the same manner. 

One aim, however, is always prominent — to bring 
the truth home to individual hearts and consciences. 
The manner, rather than the matter, of preaching is 
changed. The missioner may lay aside his surplice 
and go down into the aisles. He may stop and utter 
a brief and fervent prayer upon his knees ; or he may 
ask the choir to interject a verse of a hymn. He will 
use pointed illustrations or relate telling incidents to 
elucidate his message. Sometimes during this after- 
meeting, there is intercessory prayer for all sinners, 
and especially for those for whom requests have been 
sent in. These requests may be read, silence ob- 
served for a brief space, and then all unite in saying, 



CONDUCT OF THE MISSION 1 79 

" We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord." Some 
missioners approach people in the pews, and pray 
with them then and there. This is Mr. Aitken's 
method. Most American missioners, however, pur- 
sue a different plan. Usually no one is approached 
personally during this after-meeting. Many persons 
will resent being made conspicuous in this manner. 
The after-meeting, therefore, is closed, and what 
may be called a second after-meeting is begun. The 
missioner has asked all to retire who do not wish 
to speak to him on the subject of personal religion, 
or who are not willing that he should speak to them. 
This gives him a perfect understanding with those 
who remain. He has no '' anxious seat " or '' mourn- 
ers' bench ; '' he has used no unseemly constraint ; 
he has resorted to no questionable device to bring 
these people to him, but here they are — a number of 
inquirers, few or many, with whose eternal welfare 
he must deal. Some can be satisfied easily — a few 
words will suffice; others will need a longer inter- 
view, and the missioner will appoint an hour to meet 
them individually, or perhaps he will have some judi- 
cious helper, clerical or lay, at hand, who will be 
competent to furnish the needed counsel at once. The 
experience of missioners everywhere is singularly 
alike in this particular. At first very few remain — 
sometimes none. " Well," says Bishop Thorold, 
'' why be disappointed? All hearts are at the Lord's 
disposal, and as soon as it seems to Him that you 
can help them by their coming to you, be quite sure 
that they will come. For as the week goes on, and 
the opportunities are fewer, and the impression 



l8o REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

deepens, and the arrows wriggle in the heart, 
they do come, they must come, first one, then an- 
other, until the general and sudden thaw is like the 
breaking up of the ice in some Arctic river." The 
writer has often had none remain until the middle 
of the mission ; but after that the difficulty has been 
how to deal with so many. 

The most delicate, the most trying, and albeit the 
most important work of the Parochial Mission is the 
individual dealing with souls. The missioner is 
known to be in the Church or Sacristy at certain 
hours to give spiritual counsel to those who come to 
Him. The question is often asked : '' Does this mean 
confession ? '' Plainly, yes. Very often it does. But 
it does not mean the confessional. Sometimes an 
anxious inquirer will lay bare his inmost heart and 
tell the missioner some dreadful secret, or ac- 
knowledge some hidden sin, the burden of which is 
intolerable. Sometimes he will own to an evil habit 
or a perverted mind, and ask, '' Who shall deliver 
me from the body of this death?'' Sometimes an 
active Christian whom everybody calls a saint will 
own to the neglect of prayer, or the cherishing of 
malice, or a spirit of unbelief. The missioner is sent 
especially to just such souls. He is God's appointed 
steward, commissioned to " loose them from their 
infirmity." As a priest, he is charged with two 
blessings — one of pardon and one of peace. Before 
he can say " Go in peace," he must say, " Thy sins 
be forgiven thee." If a priest may say to a thousand 
souls, '' God pardoneth you," he may say to a single 
soul, '' God pardoneth thee." This is what every 



CONDUCT OF THE MISSION 



i8i 



missioner does. Mr. Moody would do the same 
thing. It may be confession, but it is not the confes- 
sional ; it may be absolution, but it is not penance. 
Some missioners may prescribe a set form of auricu- 
lar confession and press it more strongly than most 
of us deem to be either wise or scriptural; but let 
each servant stand or fall to his own master. The 
confessional is not inherent in the Parochial Mission 
any more than it is in the Church. Some mission- 
ers employ it, but so do some pastors. 

One result of the private interview with the mis- 
sioner is the taking of some special resolution, made 
kneeling at the altar, witnessed by the missioner, 
signed in his presence, and by him commended to 
God. Restitution to the wronged, apology to the in- 
jured, renewed consecration of time, money or work 
to God's service, reconciliation with those estranged. 
These are some of the resolutions made and kept by 
those who have been reached in the Parochial Mis- 
sion. As has been w^ell said : " This personal heart- 
work is the very essence and substance of an effi- 
ciently conducted mission ; and a mission without it 
would be like casting the net into the sea, and never 
drawing it to land." 

There seems no better place than this for one sug- 
gestion. In the kindness of their hearts, the people 
of a parish, where a mission is being held, will vie 
with each other in bestowing upon the missioner the 
most generous hospitality. 

There is a good side to this no doubt. It does 
serve to promote good feeling. But after much 
thought and a somewhat extended experience and 



l82 



REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 



observation, the writer is constrained to offer a cau- 
tion against it. A missioner cannot go from the 
natural and lawful merriment of a tea-party to the 
solemnities of an evangelistic service without serious 
danger, if not positive detriment, to his work. While 
conducting a mission, he is in retreat; it is much 
more in line with his work to repress, than to culti- 
vate, his social instincts. It is often embarrassing to 
decline; in some parts of the country people feel 
positively hurt unless the missioner will, as they say, 
'' break bread " with them ; but the general principle 
holds good — that the missioner should be suffered to 
order his time and movements according to some 
fixed rule which ought not to yield to a dinner or a 
tea. The writer is speaking for others as well as for 
himself, and pleading for the best interests of the 
work, when he counsels rectors and people to avoid 
this, as well as all other merely social engagements, 
during the mission. 

This chapter will close with one more quotation 
from Bishop Thorold : " It will sometimes happen 
that just when a mission is beginning to tell, the 
time appointed for it is over, and the net filled with 
fishes is in imminent risk of not being drawn to land. 
In such a case let no cast-iron rules, as to the proper 
length of a mission, for one moment interfere with 
the steady prosecuting of it for so long as may seem 
desirable. Two or three days more may be of all the 
importance in the world." 



CHAPTER XVII 

AFTER-WORK OF THE PAROCHIAL MISSION 

The last night of the mission may be said to be 
the beginning of the after-work. It differs from 
those preceding it, in that it focuses results. The 
rector, with the aid of the missioner, has learned how 
many have been influenced either to begin a Chris- 
tian life, or to reconsecrate themselves to greater de- 
votion and more zealous service. Some, who have 
been content with merely passive Christian living, 
will volunteer to undertake some church work. Re- 
cruits will come into the ranks of the various guilds 
and societies. Some will seek systematic and regu- 
lar instruction in Holy Scripture. Some will give in 
their names as candidates for baptism or confirma- 
tion. Lapsed communicants will seek restoration. 
Doubters will look for enlightenment. These results 
will be known, at least, in part, at the end of the 
mission, and the rector will announce, as an occa- 
sion of thanksgiving, on the closing night, the nature 
of some of these fruits which come in answer to the 
prayers of the faithful. The next day, perhaps,, the 
missioner leaves the neighborhood. Is the mission 
over? It has just begun. Now comes the rector's 
great opportunity, but awful responsibility. The 

183 



184 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

pilot has left the ship and the captain takes charge. 
Everything is in the rector's hands. The people have 
been with him on a mount of transfiguration; but 
suddenly, when they look about, they see '' no man 
any more, save Jesus only with themselves." They 
must leave the blessed fellowship and glorious vision 
of the mountain-top, and descend to the dead level 
monotony, the surging crowd, and the unseemly 
wTangling of the crowd below. It is a critical time. 
The air is full of greedy birds, ready to swoop down 
and devour up the seed that is sown. The sheep are 
gathered, but not yet safely folded. The shepherd 
will feel that he needs a hundred eyes and ears and 
hands and feet. All the wisdom and tenderness and 
love in his nature must be exercised under the sancti- 
fying influence of the grace of God. He must know 
now, if never before, what it means for a good shep- 
herd will give his life for the sheep. The people 
must see that the mission has been a blessing to him. 
Unless they feel that the ardor of a new baptism of 
fire is glowing in his heart, their own quickened en- 
ergies will soon return to the old torpor. Classes for 
instruction, adapted to beginners, as well as to those 
more advanced in the Christian life, must be organ- 
ized. Some kind of work must be found or made for 
all. Guilds and societies must be modified, or per- 
haps instituted, to meet the new conditions. Per- 
sonal counsel, according to individual needs, must be 
freely given. The work to be done is simply bound- 
less, and the rector who is not prepared to do it, in 
the name and strength of Him by Whose might he 

can do all things, had better not have had the mis- 

r- 



AFTER- WORK OF THE PAROCHIAL MISSION 1 85 

sion. If he neglect that work, he must expect to 
find that of many souls for whom he must give ac- 
count, it shall be said that their last state was worse 
than the first. One way to prevent the baneful ef- 
fects of a reaction is for the rector himself to give 
the evening services, after the mission, an evangelis- 
tic character. Let him do this for a time, at least. It 
is not necessary, nor often expedient, to multiply the 
services ; but let him supplement his Sunday even- 
ing sermon with an '' after-meeting.'' Do not throw 
aside the Mission Hymnal. Very hallowed associa- 
tions are connected with some of those melodies, al- 
though their musical excellence may not be of a 
very high order. Let the people know of convenient 
times and places to meet their pastor for prayer or 
sympathy or help. A real mission must be a very 
long one. It will not end until eternity replaces time, 
and faith gives way to sight, and labor to refresh- 
ment. Let the work be prosecuted in this spirit, and 
soon the faithful parish priest will realize one of the 
most comforting and blessed rewards that can come 
to any steward of the mysteries of God. He will find 
Aquilas and Priscillas, '' fellow-helpers in Christ 
Jesus,'' who, being themselves converted, will be 
ready to " strengthen their brethren." Those who 
began by inquiring '' What must I do to be saved? " 
will now ask : '' What may I do to save others ? " One 
Greek word, which we render, " minister," in Acts 
xxvi : 16, canpetns, which is literally an " under- 
rower," one who acts under the authority of the pilot 
— a common sailor ; and it is still more suggestive 
that one of the words which is six times rendered 



i86 



REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 



*' Preach/' in the New Testament XaXeooy Hterally 
"to babble/' While the priest's lips should keep 
knowledge, does not He who " out of the mouths of 
babes and sucklings hath perfected praise/' bless the 
'' babbling '' of an '' under-rower/' and make it the 
preaching of His Word? Does any one who knows 
the work of Jerry McAuley need any other answer 
to this question than the mention of his name ? Or if 
this be a shock to " good church-men/' it will serve 
our purpose just as well to recall that other '' under- 
rower/' who would not have shrunk from pulling in 
the same boat with Jerry McAuley, the Earl of 
Shaftesbury. 

The Parochial Mission will do its best when we 
know how to use the tongues as well as the hands 
and the dollars of the laity. Until that time comes 
we may not hope to reach the masses by the Paro- 
chial Mission or any other instrument. When we 
preach as the Pentecostal Christians preached, we 
may live as they lived, and evangelize as they evan- 
gelized. If the masses are without, what wonder? 
Does not God know, can we not see, that there is no 
place for them within? What should we do with 
them if any great numbers from the haunts of pov- 
erty and crime were to throng our churches? How 
should we meet these our brethren? With a ring 
and the best robe? There is a grim satire in the very 
thought. 

The " spirit of the age " may be dead against what 
has been advocated. Be it so. It may be all the more 
the Spirit of Christ. It may be chimerical to hope 
that anything will ever bring many Christians to 



AFTER-WORK OF THE PAROCHIAL MISSION 



187 



such a mind and temper as that suggested. It may 
be Quixotic to beHeve that such a time will ever 
come. Be it so. It is the only hope, the only faith, 
in which we may have any sure confidence that the 
Lord '' shall see of the travail of his soul and be 
satisfied/' 



CHAPTER XVIII 

CATHOLIC MISSIONS 

The holding of special missions for the reaching 
of those not identified with the CathoHc Church has 
the sanction and support of the Church and the cor- 
dial sympathy and help given the missioners by au- 
thorities may well rebuke the Protestants often- 
times because of their lack of sympathy not only 
but their positive opposition to revivals or missions. 

Yet while emphasizing the work of the missioner, 
the Church most clearly states that every Priest is 
to be constantly seeking for souls. A clear state- 
ment of this fact is presented in an article written by 
Rev. Walter Elliott in The Missionary. 

Sometimes we hear things said which indicate a 
doubt as to the capability of diocesan priests for mis- 
sionary work with non-Catholics. The parish clergy 
are often supposed to be, by both training and tem- 
perament, unfitted for addressing non-Catholics in 
public. As to training before ordination, there is no 
essential difference between that of a missionary and 
that of a parish priest. Both are to be Catholic 
priests and must be similarly educated; God has 
made the entire priesthood apostolic. Zeal for souls 
is its fundamental trait. 

i88 



CATHOLIC MISSIONS 



189 



Every priest by the sacrifice of the Mass is at least 
a missionary of prayer. He cannot say Mass with- 
out daily renewing his offering of himself with his 
great High-Priest for all the faithful, living and 
dead, and for the sins of the whole world. There are 
not two kinds of Mass, one for the missionaries and 
the other for the parish clergy ; and as it is the Mass 
that makes the priesthood, the same is one and in- 
divisible. 

Hence, with the utmost propriety our parish 
priests in America and England and Canada and 
Australia are called " priests on the mission,'' and 
no missionaries to the heathen call show more de- 
voted zeal than is often found among our clerg}^ en- 
gaged in the '' ordinary '' care of souls — if the care 
of immortal destinies can ever be called an ordinary 
vocation. 

Of course we would not say or hint that there is 
no special grace and vocation for community priests, 
or that the Church of God could dispense with their 
services; above all, in the making of converts they 
have a place second to none. We would not abate in 
the least degree from the high estimate of them uni- 
versally entertained. But it is necessary to duly ap- 
preciate the office of the bishops and their priests, no 
less in the makiijg of converts than in the daily care 
of the whole flock of Christ. 

The parish clergy are the greatest part of the 
standard priesthood of God's religion. To them the 
mass of the faithful look for everything, except con- 
firmation from the bishop and the very infrequent 
spiritual exercises of a '' mission," itself an auxiliary 



190 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

work in every meaning of the term, calculated to 
deepen the waters of the stream of grace which flows 
unceasingly through the divine channels of the par- 
ish organization. The best mission will hardly save 
a parish served by an incompetent resident priest ; 
on the other hand, an efficient resident priest can en- 
tirely save his parish in spite of unsuccessful mis- 
sions, though much more easily with the aid of a 
good mission given once in several years. 

And as the training and the inspiration of the 
priesthood are one, whether for religious or diocesan 
priests — the sacred learning and the all holy sacri- 
fice being identical, the Gospel and the Mass being 
one — so is the priestly heart one, that heart that 
throbs with love for the '' other sheep.'' If a parish 
priest is equal to his vocation, he never forgets non- 
Catholics in his ministrations, he never forgets any 
immortal soul within his reach. He stands for 
Christ, and with Him he often says to himself, 
'' Other sheep I have who are not of this fold ; them 
also must I bring." He always has at least a few 
men and women under instruction, he always knows 
a few others who are half converted and whom he 
cultivates and finally will bring in. Da mihi animas 
is the universal priestly motto ; Give me souls is the 
prayer always uttered by the sacerdotal heart. Let 
a priest but feel that noble thirst, and he becomes in 
time the strongest character, the ruling spirit in his 
town, and is as masterful to save non-Catholics as 
to make perfect the lives of Catholics. 

The great vow of the priesthood, linking earth to 
heaven in priestly sanctity and making of the men 
of the altar heroes of Christian self-denial, makes 



CATHOLIC MISSIONS IQI 

them true orators also by cleansing their lips and 
hearts with the fire of holy mortification. No speaker 
can compare with him who has learned the art of 
persuasion from the Teacher of the tabernacle. The 
uses of this highest training are expended currently 
by the parish clergy upon the faithful, both in the 
confessional and from the pulpit, as well as in the 
sick-room and by private admonition of sinners. But 
there is an unexpended surplus of convincing force 
in every priest's heart, that divine depositary of 
God's treasures. Let him use it upon non-Catholics, 
and in order to do so more efficaciously, let him 
notify his people that their priest is at the service of 
their separated brethren, not to hammer them with 
abuse but to draw them gently along in the odor of 
the ointments of the Divine Bridegroom. 

Every one knows that when God's priest speaks of 
God it is a different thing from any one else's speech 
about God : it is the lioh-voiCe calling to penance and 
shaking the desert of the human heart, or it is the 
mother-voice appealing to the wayward child, en- 
ticing it to a return of love. The voice of a Prot- 
estant minister is too often the shout of a fanatic or 
the babble of a worldling, and it is never more than 
that of one who has not been sent. Our Catholic 
priests are sent of God the Holy Ghost to win souls, 
and they have His approval in every word they say 
for truth and virtue. 

Low views of the vocation of the parish priest 
hurt the missionary spirit. A limited horizon of use- 
fulness and a petty ambition to pick up the pennies 
and show a well-balanced account to the bishop, this 
and onlv this, is sometimes set as the end of sacerdo- 



192 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

tal energy. Pennies and the getting of them have, 
let us admit, much to do with God's work, because 
that work must be properly housed in church and 
school and freed from debt. But the family of God 
is before his house; souls are to be got as the main 
work, and every other work must help this one on or 
fall into the black list of vain works. 

As an illustration of what may be accomplished 
by individual effort and how missions may be 
started, the following illustration is given, it is cer- 
tainly suggestive for every Christian, who would be 
used by God to save the lost : 

'* Mrs. is now comfortably married. She 

was born and brought up in a Western town where 
there were but few Catholics, and they of the hum- 
bler sort, and no Catholic church. Her parents were 
the one Catholic family of any social distinction in 
the whole county. Among the non-Catholics of the 
town there was considerable wealth, a very great 
reaching out for society refinements, and a remarka- 
ble ignorance of the teachings of the Catholic 
Church, as well as an abhorrence of all that she stood 
for. 

As a girl Mrs. was sent to a convent school 

in a distant city, but when she came home for her 
vacation and after she was graduated she was made 
to feel the isolationr of her position as a Catholic, 
w^hile at the same time she marvelled at the rooted 
prejudices and strange misconceptions her lady 
friends had concerning the Church. So she deter- 
mined as soon as the opportunity offered to cause 
the truth to be taught among her towns-people. 



CATHOLIC MISSIONS 193 

She now is comfortably married and has at her 
command some money, so she determined to begin 
an apostolate in her native town. She secured the 
tax-Hst of the place and sent it to the Catholic Book 
Exchange, with instructions to mail a couple of leaf- 
lets explanatory of Catholic doctrine to each name 
on the list successively for a decade of weeks. While 
the leaven of these truths was creating a ferment she 
arranged for a non-Catholic mission in the opera 
house. 

The missionaries '' billed the town,'' saw the 
editors of the local papers, and then opened the 
doors to the crowds. They did come. They did ask 
plenty of questions. They did display considerable 
interest. 

In a week the mission was over, and the mission- 
aries had sowed the good seed and left for other 
fields. Rumor has it that many are still wondering 
where they got such false notions of the Catholic 
Church, and others are inquiring more deeply into 
Catholic doctrine; others have been so deeply im- 
pressed that they are determined not to drop the 
m.atter just here. 

This is the simple story of how that non- 
Catholic mission came about, and what the results 
of it were. 

In order that a mission may be before us, we have 
taken from the '' Catholic World," the monthly pub- 
lished by the Paulist Fathers in New York City, the 
account by Rev. Walter Elliott, C. S. P., of a mis- 
sion which was certainly not only a success, but 
most suggestive. 



CHAPTER XIX 

THE STORY OF A [ CATHOLIC] MISSION 

When the time came for a mission in St. Paurs 
parish, New York City, the Fathers were naturally 
anxious to make it a thorough one. We felt that no 
change in the old style of mission, as far as the 
main features are concerned, would be beneficial. To 
preach the end of man, and to tell how man's soul is 
wrecked and saved, must ever be the purpose of a 
mission. Now, the Exercises of St. Ignatius most 
perfectly methodized the meditation of these eternal 
truths, and St. Alphonsus, prince of modern mis- 
sionaries, most perfectly fitted them to the wants of 
the people. So the old mission stands as the new one 
and the best one. 

But yet a mission is capable of progress in its 
adaptation to novel conditions of the people, and it^ 
grasp of new opportunities for general good, such as 
the use of the press and of other means of advertis- 
ing. Thus, the best mission is the one which rever- 
ently preserves traditional methods, while eagerly 
seeking new means of making them more effica- 
cious. 

St. Paul's parish being typically urban in its char- 
acter, a thorough-going visitation was necessary. 
The people of city parishes enjoy but a minimum of 

194 



THE STORY OF A [CATHOLIc] MISSION 195 

that powerful means of grace, personal acquaintance 
with the parish clergy. '' I know, mine and mine 
know me '" can only be said by the city pastor in an 
official sense. Hence many souls are lost for want of 
personal care ; hence the sacraments are too often but 
oases in a desert of vice — a yearly or half-yearly 
breathing-time in an otherwise habitual state of sin. 
The visitation of the parish for the purpose of hunt- 
ing up hardened sinners and of interviewing every 
man and woman on religious matters, and (some- 
thing very important ! ) to be interviewed in turn, is 
a prerequisite for a spiritual renewal like a mission. 

The missionaries spent many days, and especially 
many evenings, before the opening Sunday in the 
visitation, often returning several times to the same 
family. During the earlier weeks of the mission the 
names of obstinate sinners were constantly being 
handed in, and these were sought after again and 
again, with the best results. In a word, the Apostol- 
ate of Shoe-leather preceded that of the living word 
in the pulpit and the sacramental word in the con- 
fessional. We think that the visitation was the most 
potent cause (apart from the unseen and uncalcula- 
ble influence of divine grace) of the great success of 
the mission. It set everybody talking, it brought the 
priest into every family, it was an offering of some 
extra hard work on the part of the clergy and of 
practical zeal on the part of the devout laity. 

At the same time as the visitation began the help 
of the Apostolate of the Press. The subjoined card 
was distributed personally by the Fathers during 
their excursions through the parish: 



196 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

A FOUR WEEKS' MISSION 

WILL BE GIVEN IN THE 

CHURCH OF THE PAULIST FATHERS, 

Beginning Sunday, Jan. g, and ending Sunday, Feb. 6. 

Opening Sermon at the High Mass, Sunday, 
January 9. 

ALL ARE INVITED. 

EVERY PARISHIONER IS EXPECTED TO ATTEND AND MAKE THE 

MISSION. 

1st v^eek, beginning January 9, for the Married Women. 

2d week, beginning January 16, for the Unmarried Wo- 
men. 

3d week, beginning January 23, for the Married Men. 

4th week, beginning January 30, for the Single Men. 

HOURS OF SERVICES. 

Night Service at 7:30 p. m. Instruction, Rosary, Sermon, 
and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. 

MORNING SERVICES. 

5 A. M. Mass and Instruction. 
8 A. M. Mass and Instruction. 

Important Notice. — On Sunday, January 16, the first Mass 
will be at 5 o'clock instead of 5 130, and so continue 
every Sunday until further notice. 

A MISSION TO NON-CATHOLICS 

WILL BE GIVEN DURING THE WEEK 

Beginning Sunday, February 6. 
Services every evening at 7 130. 



THE STORY OF A [ CATHOLIC] MISSION 197 

Prayer. 

O Lord Jesus ! who didst suffer and die upon the Cross 

for the redemption of all mankind, we beseech thee to 
look down with Thy tender eyes of pity upon all the mem- 
bers of this parish. Send down Thy Holy Spirit into the 
hearts of all — that the good ones amongst us may become 
better, that the sinners may be converted, and that the care- 
less and indifferent may be enlightened, so that all may 
be prepared for the coming of Thy missioners, and that 
there will be a complete and thorough outpouring of Thy 
Holy Spirit amongst us all. — Amen. 

NoN- Catholics are Invited to Attend the Catholic 

Mission. 

We earnestly ask every member of our parish to take 
the interest in the Mission that it deserves. It appeals 
to you especially, for it concerns your soul. Behold now 
is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation. It ap- 
peals to you because of the love you should have for your 
neighbor. Catholic and non-Catholic are your neighbors. 
Urge them to make the Mission. The best thing you can 
do for the New Year is to make the Mission yourself and 
try to get your friends to make it. 

Many thousands of these invitations were thus 
handed around by the priests themselves, and were 
soon everywhere in the hands, the pockets, and the 
prayer-books of the people. Meantime, of course, 
carefully framed announcements were made at all 
the Masses for some Sundays beforehand and pub- 
he prayers were offered. The monthly parish Calen- 
dar contained extended and thoughtfully-worded 
exhortations, and the daily papers were induced to 
print brief notices. A big sign was fixed above the 
main entrance to the church, changing from week 



198 



REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 



to week, and attracting the attention of the ceaseless 
tide of humanity surging about the corners and upon 
the platforms of the adjacent elevated railroad sta- 
tion — a fact which accounts for many who are not 
parishioners making the mission. 

The division of the exercises into four weeks was 
a necessity. Each week the church, great as it is, 
was filled twice every day, at 5 a. m. and at the 
evening service. 

The grand total of the four weeks' mission, in- 
cluding children, was over 13,000; indeed it went 
considerably beyond that number if we count those 
who straggled in to the Sacraments during three or 
four weeks after the close. The count was entirely 
accurate, each of the penitents, exclusive of " re- 
peaters," receiving the Paulist Remembrance leaflet, 
by which means the totals were computed. We give 
herewith a copy : 

Put this in your Prayer-Book and keep it as 
A REMEMBRANCE OF THE MISSION 

OF THE 

Paulist Fathers. 

O MY SOUL ! never forget those happy days when you 
were so sincerely converted to God. Never forget the 
promises you then made to God and your Father Con- 
fessor. 

O Sacred Heart of Jesus ! burning with love for me, 
inflame my heart with love for Thee. 

O Mary ! obtain for me the grace to persevere in my 
good resolutions. 



THE STORY OF A [CATHOLIc] MISSION 199 

THE LAST WORDS OF ADVICE 

GIVEN AT THE MISSION. 

I. Be careful to say your morning and evening prayers; 
for prayer is the key to the treasures of Heaven. ''Ask, 
and ye shall receive," says our Lord. 

XL Often call to mind that it is appointed for you ONCE 
TO DIE — you know not when, nor where, nor how ; only 
this you know : that if you die in mortal sin, you will be 
lost for ever; if you die in the state of grace, you will be 
happy for ever. 

'' In all thy works remember thy last end, and thou shalt 
never sin'' (Ecclus. vii). 

III. Never neglect to hear Mass on Sundays and Holy- 
days of Obligation. By uniting our hearts with all the 
faithful in offering up the great Sacrifice of the Mass, we 
offer, 1st, an act of infinite adoration to God; and 2d, we 
bring down upon ourselves the choicest blessings of 
Heaven. 

A dark cloud hangs over the Catholic family that neg- 
lects Mass. 

IV. Be careful about what you read, for bad reading is 
poison to the soul. Provide yourself with Catholic books. 
Take a Catholic newspaper. 

V. Remember that a man is known by his company. 
Keep away from the saloon. Beware of the familiar com- 
pany of persons of the other sex. Remember what you 
promised at the Mission, and fly from the danger of sin; 
for 'lie that loveth the danger shall perish in it" 
(Ecclus. iii). 

VI. When you are tempted by bad thoughts, say quickly, 
*7esus and Mary, help me ! " Then say the Hail Mary 
till you have banished the temptation. Remember that 
God sees you at every instant. 

Vn. If you are so unhappy as to fall again into sin, be 



200 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

not discouraged; quickly beg pardon of God^ and seek the 
first opportunity to go to Confession, and start again in a 
new life. 

'' He that shall persevere unto the end, he shall he saved " 
(Matt. x). 

VIII. Go to Confession and C ommunion once a month, 
if possible; at least never allow three months to pass with- 
out approaching these Sacraments. By Confession our 
souls are cleansed from sin, and strengthened to resist 
temptation. By Communion our souls are nourished by the 
Sacred Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. 

" He that eateth Me, the same also shall live by Me '' 
(John vi. 58). 

A Prayer for the Conversion of Non-Catholics. 

O Lord Jesus Christ, thou Good Shepherd of souls, we 
beseech thee to grant us the grace to be missionaries of thy 
holy Faith ; that our conversation may be so instructive and 
our behavior so edifying that thy lost sheep shall be led to 
hear thy Church, and be brought to the unity of the one 
fold and the loving care of the one shepherd; who livest 
and reignest for ever and ever. Amen. 

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father. 

The attendance was something wonderful. The 
women, married and single, edified us greatly by 
their punctuality, their patience in standing — as 
hundreds did during the entire service — and their 
zeal in bringing sinners. The married men, in some 
respects, carried off the prize. Their numbers 
naturally fell short of the single men, but their at- 
tendance was more punctual, especially in the early 
morning, and their attention to the sermons and in- 
structions very gratifying. Much of this is ac- 
counted for by the working Holy Name Society, 



THE STORY OF A [ CATHOLIC ] MISSION 20I 

whose membership, strictly practical, passes nine 
hundred men, mostly married. That large number 
of aggressive Catholic men was more than enough 
to leaven the whole lump of twenty-four hundred 
who received the sacraments that week. We all 
know that the best and worst men in every parish 
are married men ; in this case the best easily carried 
the day against the worst, thanks mainly to the Holy 
Name Society. 

Yet, somehow or other, we felt that the young men 
bore away the palm. There is more show^ in their 
piety, even — or perhaps especially — w^hen it is new 
born. Their tempJtations are stronger, their wisdom 
is smaller, their vanity is more silly; hence, as they 
fall below other classes in incentives to good, they 
are more deserving of praise for their penance. Their 
week filled the souls of the missionaries with consola- 
tion. 

The dispositions in the confessional were excel- 
lent — on the part of sinners, deep sorrow for their 
sins and entire readiness to take practical means of 
amendment of life ; on the part of the good people an 
unfeigned purpose to struggle forw^ard to Christian 
perfection. Against the proximate occasions of vice, 
so very common and so very enticing in our cities, 
penitents spontaneously made the necessary prom- 
ises. One of the best fruits of the mission was the 
handing in of over 2,500 signed promises of total ab- 
stinence ; eight hundred of these were made by the 
young men alone. The sermon on intemperance was 
preached Wednesday or Thursday night of each 
week, and a card given to each person present ; this 



202 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

was a total abstinence promise for a specified time, 
and was to be signed and kept at home ; but a coupon 
was attached, bearing the name and address of the 
signer, and was handed in to the missionaries as they 
went through the church collecting them, the even- 
ing after the temperance sermon. In this way a blow 
direct is delivered against the dominant vice of all 
city parishes, and it is effected without undue 
pressure, the signing being done after giving time to 
think and pray and advise with the '' home authori- 
ties/' The following is the card: 



Total Abstinence Promise 

MADE 

At the Mission given by the Paulist Fathers 

IN 

Cburcl) of %l Paul iDe HmtK 

NEW YORK, JANUARY, 1898. 



For the love of God and for the good of 
my soul, I promise to abstain from intoxi- 
cating drinks. 



Name. 



For years. 

This card was used with all classes, married and 
single, sober or intemperate, some for cure, others 
for preventive, and all to help on the good cause of 



THE STORY OF A [CATHOLIc] MISSION 203 

temperance, to create an aversion for convivial hab- 
its, and to antagonize one of the deadHest foes of 
the church in our country, the saloon. On the re- 
verse side of the card was the following : 

A's REASON. 

I feel that by making this promise I can encourage others,. 
who may need it, to do the same. 

B's REASON. 

I have noticed that those who make and keep such prom- 
ises are better Christians, have better health, longer life, 
and pleasanter homes than habitual drinkers. 

Cs REASON. 
I cannot afford to be constantly drinking. I have a fam- 
ily to support, and they need all I can earn. 

D's REASON. 
I must do some penance for my sins ; such self-denial is 
pleasing to God and meritorious for me. 

E's REASON. 
I am afraid of giving scandal to my children, or tO' 
others ; should any one by my example become a drunkard, 
what could I answer in the day of Judgment ? 

Fs REASON. 
Drunkenness is a great cause of sin, cruelty, and crime; 
I intend to avoid even the occasion of it. 

G's REASON. 
Once I was a victim of the drink habit. I am resolved 
never again to submit to its slavery. 

H's REASON. 
When the demon of discord caused by drink enters the 
house, the Angel of Peace departs. I prefer dwelling with 
the Angel of Peace than with the demon of discord. 



204 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

Many new members joined the temperance socie- 
ties of the women as well as of the men, recruits 
being enrolled, however, only after the mission was 
over, lest brittle timber should be put into the good 
ship. Over three hundred members were added to 
the great Holy Name Society, and large additions 
were made to the League of the Sacred Heart and 
the Sodality of the Annunciation. Meantime a class 
of grown-up persons was formed for confirmation, 
and Bishop Farley administered the sacrament to 
more than two hundred. Thus the Catholic mission 
was a signal success. 

Let us do justice to those who mainly caused it — 
the practical Catholics of the parish. When appealed 
to to be missionaries with us, to pray and to work as 
sent by God to save sinners, they took us at our 
word. They beset sinners with every form of spirit- 
ual attack and gave them no rest till they surren- 
dered and came to the services. Even Protestants 
helped. These saw the big sign or read the press no- 
tices which we managed to have inserted in the city 
dailies, and chaffed their Catholic friends, not all in 
joke either, about attending to their religion. Two 
Protestants working down-town with a '' hickory " 
Catholic of the parish saw the sign, and one of them 
said : '' If I were a Catholic I would show my ap- 
preciation of my religion by going to that mission.'' 
The other Protestant backed him up, and their care- 
less friend was finally shamed into making the mis- 
sion, and related the incident to one of the mission- 
aries — an illustration, by the way, of the decadence 
of Protestant prejudice. During the four Catholic 



THE STORY OF A [CATHOLIc] MISSION 205 

weeks the people were now and then reminded of the 
week for the non-Cathohcs which was coming. Each 
penitent received, folded in the ordinary remem- 
brance leaflet (itself containing a prayer for conver- 
sions) the following ingeniously concocted stimulant 
to missionary effort: 

Apostolate of Prayer 

AND 

Work for the Conversion of America to the True 
Faith of Christ. 

1. Select One Soul for whose conversion you wish to pray 
in a most special manner. 

2. Pray daily, in union with all the members, that the 
Most Precious Blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ may fall upon and save that one soul. 

3. By good example, by great gentleness and kindness, at- 
tract that one soul to Christ. Lose no favorable oppor- 
tunity, by conversation, Catholic reading, acts of charity 
and self-sacrifice, to gain that one soul for whom Jesus 
died on the Cross. 

4. Do not lose hope if you do not at once succeed. Re- 
member that patience is a missionary virtue as well as 
zeal. '' So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should 
cast seed into the earth, and should sleep and rise, night 
and day, and the seed should spring, and grow up whilst 
he knoweth not." (St. Mark iv. 26.) 

5. Report success to your Pastor, and bring him others to 
join this Apostolate. One soul is worth the Blood of 
the Redeemer. 

A Prayer for Christian Unity. 

O God the Holy Ghost, Spirit of Truth and Love, who 
desirest that all nations and peoples and tongues should 
be brought into one Faith, we beseech Thee to enlighten 



2o6 



REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 



our understanding and strengthen our will, that we may 
zealously work and pray for the conversion of our beloved 
country. Grant us the privilege of helping our fellow- 
countrymen to believe the doctrines which our Lord Jesus 
Christ taught by His Apostles, and to accept the means of 
salvation which, through their successors, He administers 
unto men's souls. O Holy Spirit! Thou personal Bond of 
Infinite and Eternal Union between the Father and the 
Son, grant that all mankind may be made one, as in Thee 
the Father and the Son are one ; grant that all may belong 
to that one Fold, of which Christ is the one Shepherd, and 
go onward by the one Way of Truth to life everlasting. 
Amen. 
Our Father; Hail Mary; Glory be to the Father. 

We opened the non-Catholic mission the closing 
Sunday of the last week of the Catholic mission. Of 
course every effort had been made by the missiona- 
ries to attract Protestants to the services, depending 
mainly, however, upon the personal exertions of 
our parishioners among their friends. Needless to 
say that vast audiences of Catholics came ; but we 
had, as we expected, a large attendance of non- 
Catholics every night, no less than six hundred at 
some of the lectures, perhaps even more. The zeal 
of Catholics for their own salvation broadened out 
until it embraced their separated brethren, and by 
every means allowable sought to bring them to the 
church. We wish to insist that the reason for the 
evident improvement in tone as well as increased at- 
tendance of non-Catholics at this year's mission is 
to be attributed to the Catholic people's zeal. In this 
parish they have been for many years steadily re- 
minded of their vocation to convert their fellow-citi- 
zens to the true religion, and now they are pretty 



THE STORY OF A [CATHOLIC] MISSION 20/ 

fully awake to that holy duty. They know that we 
are ready to do our part, and always at their service 
to instruct or even to argue w^ith their non-Catholic 
friends, and that we have in the church office an un- 
failing supply of free doctrinal literature. In fact 
the people are beginning to have a missionary con- 
science, and results show accordingly. This is il- 
lustrated by the way the invitations to non-Catholics 
were distributed. We printed three thousand copies 
of the accompanying card, placed them in envelopes, 
and notified the people at Mass two Sundays before 
we began with the non-Catholics ; the three thousand 
were gone in a flash — it was hard to get a single card 
that Sunday noon. They were all addressed and 
mailed by the people to their non-Catholic friends ; 
and this was a strong reinforcement to the invita- 
tions given personally. 

Yoti are invited to attend a course of 
Lectures in the Paulist Church, 
Cohimbtts Avenue and Fifty-ninth 
Street, during the evenings of the 
week beginning Sunday, February 6. 
The topics chosen are calculated to in- 
terest you very deeply, bearing as 
they do tipon matters of vital religious 
interest. They zvill be presented in a 
friendly spirit, our purpose being a 
plain exposition of Catholic doctrine 
and practice. 

This card zvill secure you a seat dur-, 

ing the entire course. 

Very faithfully yours. 

The Paulist Fathers. 



208 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

The reverse of the card read as follows : 
List of Lecture Topics 

No Salvation outside the Catholic 
Church. — This dogma clearly 
explained. 

How to be rid of Sin. — Actual prac- 
tice of Catholics. — The Confes- 
sional. 

The Dead. — Our relation to those who 
have gone before us. 

Church Authority. — Its necessity for 
preserving purity of doctrine 
and administering the aids of 
religion. 

Communion with the blessed in 
Heaven. — The intercession of 
the Saints. 

The Real Presence of Christ in the 
Eucharist. — The Sacrifice of 
the Mass. 

The Interior Life of Catholics. — 
Prayer, Meditation, Sanctifica- 
tion. 



I 



I 



Question Box 

The result was very consoling. The most intelli- 
gent of our Catholics were present every evening, 
mingled with the best kind of non-Catholics, whom 
they had in most cases brought with them. We no- 
ticed that a very large proportion of our guests, as 



THE STORY OF A [CATHOLIc] MISSION 209 

we may call them, acted not only with decorum, but 
even with reverence, many of them joining in the 
hymns, and kneeling during Benediction of the 
Blessed Sacrament. 

Doctrinal leaflets were eagerly accepted every 
night. Many hundreds of good books were bought 
by the non-Catholics at the church entrances (for a 
very small price, to be sure) and taken home to play 
the silent part of the Apostolate of the Press in fu- 
ture conversions. Ninety-one non-Catholics attended 
the first meeting of our Inquiry Class. Of these more 
than three-fourths are practically certain of taking 
instructions and of being received into the church in 
the near future ; this in addition to about a score of 
converts already received, men and women whose 
instruction was found advanced enough to be fin- 
ished during the five weeks of the mission. 

The faults we have to find with the Catholic mis- 
sion are all centered in one — a week is hardly long 
enough to add to conversion from a sinful life a 
sufficiently developed prospect of perseverance. We 
have said that we preach the old mission of St. Al- 
phonsus; let us frankly correct that statement, and 
admit that we and missionaries generally preach an 
abridgement of it — we do not, we cannot as yet, give 
the fulness of eflfect in an eight days' mission that 
can be given by a fortnight. The old mission which 
the writer knew, even as lately as in the early seven- 
ties, is now seldom given. It embraced two full 
weeks of preaching to the same auditory ; it fully de- 
veloped the motives of repentance ; it fully developed 
the means of perseverance. Special discourses were 



2IO REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

delivered against besetting vices ; the love of God, 
and the sufferings of Christ, together with other of 
the nobler motives for a good life, were not crowded 
into the background; they were so strongly urged 
that they could dominantly characterize the whole 
spiritual effect of the mission. In all religious influ- 
ences time is of great value, hurry is an injury ; as, 
for example, even an appearance of haste in a con- 
fessor hurts his ministry, just as a leisurely, deliber- 
ate, patient, and waiting manner helps him. So with 
our '' divided " missions, and our one week's mis- 
sions generally — they are too short in time, they are 
too scanty in matter. It is remarkable that with all 
this deficiency so many sinners are permanently con- 
verted, being helped by good example at home, by 
good reading, by increased church facilities, by 
more numerous clergy — for a zealous and painstak- 
ing parish priest is a gift of God for perseverance 
superior to that any mission can give. But let us 
not cease to hope that missionaries may be so multi- 
plied that soon the integral fulness of spiritual bene- 
fit may be easily given in these gatherings of the 
people for a renewal of Christ's sovereignty over 
them and the freer working of his church for their 
salvation. We read in the history of missions in 
Italy and France that a band of fathers would re- 
main in a small parish over a month, thoroughly 
hunt up every sinner, first drive home the fear of 
God till it became a permanent quality of the soul, 
then elevate this motive by constant preaching and 
personal converse into habitual and conscious love of 
Jesus Christ. Much the same should be done to-day 



THE STORY OF A [cATHOLIc] MISSION 211 

in a great number of our own parishes, and it is not 
done for lack of missionaries. 

What somewhat atoned for this want in our mis- 
sion, though not entirely, was the great church 
which accommodated more than three thousand per- 
sons, most of whom could be seated during the ser- 
vices. The congregational singing also helped to 
soften hearts. The people were their own choir at 
every service, early morning and night. The hymns 
are tuneful and their words full of solid doctrine 
worth knowing by heart. The singing, especiali; 
that by the great chorus of the men, was something 
heavenly. The men as they sang were preaching 
God s truth to themselves in noble musical cadence 
they felt it, and it aided the mission effect wonder- 
fully. 

Fewer defects, we think, can be found in the non- 
Lathohc mission than in the Catholic one. We got 
the audience, we imparted plain teaching of the chief 
typically Catholic doctrines, we answered questions 
ranging over the entire field of religion, natural and 
revealed, and we stocked every non-Catholic hearer 
with the printed truth in abundance. What more 
could we do? The answer is the burden of com- 
plaint of all who are engaged in this Apostolate; we 
do not preach penance enough to non-Catholics, nor 
other motives which are calculated to stimulate the 
conscience to positive acceptance of the truth, as 
well as to active search for it. 

To this the rejoinder is that non-Catholics are not 
nearly so much attracted by such topics as awake a 
dead conscience as they are by those which are in 



212 REVIVALS AND MISSIONS 

dispute between themselves and the church. This 
course may be pursued, however: the doctrinal dis- 
courses may be toned with a gentle note of divine 
love, or some strong sentiment of responsibility to 
God — as indeed we tried to do. 

Anyway, we have reason to be thankful to God for 
our mission, one of a kind given by all communities 
and by the new diocesan missionaries everywhere in 
this country. As to converts, our success this time 
is very encouraging. Consider that every convert, 
according to the usual rule, will sooner or later bring 
in at least o^e other, generally more, and this gives 
a cheerful outlook. '' To him that hath shall be 
given '' is never more true than in the case of a par- 
ish in which converts already abound. Each har- 
vest fills not only the barns, but provides seed-corn 
for yet other harvests. 



THE END 



INDEX 



Acknowledgment Card, 130, 131. 
Advertising Committee, 91, 92. 
Adams, Thomas, 9. 
A Devoted Woman, y^)- 
After Meetings, 103-138. 
Age of Accountability, 122. 
Aitken, Robert, 158-179. 
Archbishop of York, 159. 

Beecher, Dr. Lyman, no. 
Belief in Revivals, 140. 
Benefit of Revivals, 64. 
Bishop of Rochester, 159-174. 
Booth, Rev. R. R., D. D., 4-5. 
Booth, Mrs. Catherine, 5. 
Brief Service, 138. 
Bushnell, Dr., 60. 

Calvin, 19. 

Canvassing Committee, 92. 
Cards for Inquirers, 85-102. 
Cave of Engedi, 149. 
Caring for Results, 131-132. 
Church in Sardis, 162. 
Church Officers, 82. 
Church Officer's Concern, 74. 
Chambers, Dr., Z2. 
Chance in Early Life, 122. 

213 



214 INDEX 

Conception of Lost Condition of Men, 136. 
Confidence in God, 118- 119 
Conviction of Sinners, 78. 
Cuyler, Dr. T. L., 61. 

Davies, Samuel, 109-110. 

Devotional Committee, 95- 

De.Paul, St. Vincent, 158. 

Deism, 12. 

Dean Church, London, 160. 

DECISION DAY, 121 to 132, inclusive. 

Age of accountability, 122. 

Past redemption point, 122. 

Chance in early life, 122. 

Danger in delay, 124-125-126. 

Preparing for decision day, 127-128-129. 

The plan, 129. 

The teacher, 130. 

The acknowledgment card, 130-131- 

Caring for results, 131-132. 
Doorkeeper at Meetings, 97- 
Dominican and Redemptorist Monks, 159. 

Disraeli, ii5- 
Distrust in Revivals, 139- 
Drummond, Henry, 176. 
Dwight, 24. 

Earl of Shaftesbury, 186. 

Edwards, Jonathan, 13, 14, I5, 16, I7, 28, 107, 108, 109, no. 

Edward Whitfield Compared, 19. 

Elliott, Rev. Walter, 188. 

Every Sermon with plan of Salvation, 140. 

Evangelists, 64, 65, iS9- 

Executive Committee, 89-90. 

Expect Results, 119. 

Farwell, John V., 36. 

Finance Committee, 90. 

Finney, Charles G., 7, 24- 25, 27, 28, 33, 40, 41, 42, 69, 107. 



INDEX 215 

Finney's Conversion, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 

57, 58. 
Free Will Offering, 96. 

Gale, Rev. George W., 43. 
General Preparation for a Revival, 86. 
General Convention of 1869, 159. 
Griffin, Dr. Edward Dorr, 24, 81-111. 
Guild of the Iron Cross, 161. 

Hetherington, Dr., 2. 

Helpfulness of Personal Effort, 137. 

History of Parochial Mission, 158-161. 

Holy Ghost, 10, 26, 38, 44, 45, 46, 65, 66, 6^, 69, yz, 79, 80, 

83, 107, 115, 140, 164, 174. 
Humphrey's Letters, 78. 

INDICATION OF A REVIVAL, 67 to 79. 

Mr. Spurgeon, 67. 

The Prayer Meeting, 69. 

The Word of God, 69. 

Zeal in the Church, 69- 
72. 

Mr. Finney, 69. 

Spirit of Prayer, 71. 

Devoted Woman, 72. 

Church Officers' Con- 
cern, 74. 

Pointed Preaching, 76. 

Revival in Rochester, 77, 

Conviction of Sinners, 
78. 

Dr. Humphreys' Let- 
ters if^ 
Illustration of Hindrance, 142. 

Inquirers' Cards, 85-102. 

Inquirers, 104. 

Infidelity, 143. 

Intense Desire for Revival, 81. 



2 1 6 INDEX 

Justification, 107-108. 

Kimball, Edward, 34- 

Lack of Earnestness, 140. 
London Mission, i58-i59- 
Luther, Martin, 19-61. 

Materialistic Methods, 26. 

McAuley, Jerry, 186. 

McCheyne, 140. 

Meroz, I39- 

METHODS OF WORK, 83 to 106. 

*^ "' " Pastors, 104. 

u " " Subjects for Sermons, 84. 

« " " Inquirers' Cards, 85-102. 

t( " " General Preparation, 86. 

a " " Preparation in Jacksonville, 111., 

86. 
it " " Union Prayer Meeting, 87. 

a u ' a Special Suggestions for Organi- 

zation, 88-89. 
ti " " Executive Committee, 89-90. 

ii " " Advertising Committee, 91-92. 

a << '' Canvassing Committee, 92. 

a " " Music Committee, 94-95- 

« <* " Devotional Committee, 95. 

it ii " Ushers and Assistants, 96, 97, 9^, 

99, 100, lOI. 
« ** " Doorkeeper, 97. 

a " '' After Meetings, 103-138. 

a " " Inquirers, 104. 

Methods and Machinery, I33- 
Moody, D. L., 4, 31, 32, ZZ. 34, 35, 36, 2>7, 38, Ii3, Ii4, 120, 

152, 181. 
Moorhouse, Harry, 114. 
Mills, 24. 
Muller, George, I35- 



INDEX 217 

Music Committee, 94-95. 
Magnify the Word of God, 107. 

Nettleton, Dr. Asahel, 24, 25, 27, 28, 40, 112, 113. 

Neglect to Wait Before God, ^2>2i' 

Newell, William W., D. D., 114. 

Newton, Dr. Richard, 176. 

Noon Day Meeting, 149. 

Northfield, 176. 

No Man Cared for my Soul (Sermon), 148. 

New York Advent Mission, 160. 

Oxford, 22-23. 

Pastors, 84, 115, 140. 

Paul, 39, 141. 

Parochial Mission Society for the United States, 160, 178. 

Past Redemption Point, 122. 

People a Hindrance, 141. 

Pointed Preaching, 76. 

Proper Ventilation, 137-138. 

Preparing for Decision Day, 127, 128, 129. 

Preparation in Jacksonville, 111., 86. 

Presbyterian Churches in Philadelphia, 64, 81, no. 

Prejudice against Revivals, i. 

Profound Belief in the Holy Ghost, 134. 

PREACHING IN REVIVALS, 107 to 120, inclusive. 

" '' " Fearless Preachers, 107. 

Mr. Edwards at Enfield, 
108. 
" '* " Davies of Virginia, 109. 

" " " Dr. Lyman Beecher, no. 

Dr. Griffin, in. 
Nettleton, n2-n3. 
D. L. Moody, n3-n4. 
" '' " Harry Moorhouse, n4. 

William W. Newell, n4. 
Disraeli, n5. 



2l8 



INDEX 



PREACHING IN REVIVALS, Confidence m God, ii8. 
" " " Expect Results, 119. 

" " " Profession of Faith, 119. 

" " " Plan of Salvation, 119. 

" " '' Moody and Sankey, 120. 

PREPARING FOR A REVIVAL, 80-82. 

Intense Desire, 81. 

Dr. Griffin, 81. 

Season of Prayer, 82. 

Church Officers, 82. 

REVIVALS HINDERED, 139 to 143. 

" " Distrust in Revivals, 139. 

" ^ " Plan of Salvation, 139. 

" " Belief in Revival, 140. 

" " Pastors, 140. 

" " Lack of Earnestness, 140. 

** " People a Hindrance, 141. 

" " Illustration of Hindrance, 142. 

Infidelity, 143. 
Rationalistic Methods, 26. 
Revivals, Benefit of, 64. 

" Intense Desire for, 81. 
" In Old Testament, 3. 
" Second Era of, 24. 
" Prejudice Against, i. 
" Attack upon, 6. 
Revival in Rochester, 77. 
Revival of 1857, 61. 
Revival of 1858, 31. 
Revival of 1859, 29. 
Reaction Toward Religion, 20. 
REVIVAL TEXTS AND SERMON, 144 to 157. 

Texts for The 
Church, 144-145. 
" " *' " Sermons on The 

Holy Ghost, 145- 
146. 



INDEX 



219 



REVIVAL TEXTS AND SERMONS, For Young People, 

146. 
For Women, 146. 
For Men, 146-147. 
For The Unsaved, 

147-148. 
To Christians, 148, 
149, 150, 151, 152, 
153, 154, 155, 156, 
157. 
REVIVALS HELPED, 133 to 138. 

Neglect to Wait Before God, 133. 
Methods and Machinery, 133. 
Belief in The Holy Ghost, 134. 
Belief in Prayer, 135. 
Conception of the Lost Condition 

of Men, 136. 
Personal Effort, 137. 
Prayer List, 137. 
Proper Ventilation, 137-138. 
Brief Service, 138. 
Singing, 138. 

Sankey, Ira D., 36, ^y, 120. 

Salvation Plan of, 119. 

Second Era of Revivals, 24. 

Sermons for the Church, 144-145. 

Sermons on the Holy Spirit, 145-146. 

Sermons for Men, 146-147. 

Sermons for Young People, 146. 

Sermons for Women, 146. 

Sermon to Christians, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, I54, 155. 

156, 157. 
Society of St. John The Evangelist, 158. 
Sovereignty of God, 27. 
Special Suggestions for Organization, 88-89. 
Spirit of Prayer, 71. 
Spurgeon, Mr., 67. 



220 INDEX 

St. Vincent de Paul, 158. 

Taylor, Hudson, 135. 

Texts, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148. 

The Teacher, 130. 

The Church of England Parochial Mission Society, 159. 

The Great Awakening, 13. 

Thorold, Bishop, 179-182. 

Tolstoi, Count Leo, 155. 

Union Prayer Meetings, 87. 

Ushers and Assistants, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, loi. 

Varley, Henry, 2^7- 
Ventilation, 137-138. 

Wesleyan Evangelists, 159. 

Wesley, John, 17, 18, 40, 107, 158. 

Whitfield, George, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 40, 107, 109, 115. 

Whitfield's Mother, 22. 

Whitfield's Father, 20. 

Whitfield and Edwards Compared, 19. 

William of Orange, 12. 

Word of God, 69. 

Young Men's Christian Association, 31, 32, z>, 3^. 

Zeal in the Church, 69-72. 



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